Never Torn Apart
by cj10824
Summary: Gabriella and Troy have been best friends since birth. Both have had deeper feelings for the other for awhile. Gabriella constantly struggles with low self-esteem issues. Will Troy be able to help her get over that and show her she is beautiful?
1. Chapter 1

**AN: This is my first story. I have been working on it for awhile. I hope you like it. (I'll probably update once a week, fyi).**

* * *

"Bolton has the ball—he's at the top of the key--he fakes left, spins right, between the legs, reverse lay-up—and he scores! Bolton wins the game, and the crowd goes wild—Ahhhhh!!"

"Get over yourself Bolton; lucky shot"

"Come on Montez…luck had nothing to do with it. That's four games in a row that I have won," Troy said with a smirk on his face.

"Yeah, four games that you only won by one point, and against a girl nonetheless," said Gabriella with a huge smile on her face.

"Tell me Bolton, how does it feel to almost lose to a girl every time we play?"

"Montez, you're no girl!"

"What!? What is that supposed to mean Troy?"

"I mean, you don't play like most girls; you play like a guy. That's probably because we've been playing against each other since we were five," Troy said with a slightly fearful look in his eyes hoping he hadn't offended his best friend too much.

"It's alright Bolton; I understood what you meant. I just wanted to watch you desperately try to dig yourself out of yet another hole," Gabriella smiled while Troy acted offended.

"You're gonna get it now Montez!" And with that, Troy grabbed Gabriella by the waist and threw her over his shoulder as he ran off towards the pool in his backyard with Gabriella kicking the entire way.

When they reached the pool, Troy shifted Gabriella so she was in his arms being held over the pool bridal style. "Alright Montez, say the magic phrase."

"No way Bolton; I'd rather die first," Gabriella managed to get out through her laughter.

"Alright then," Troy said as he started to drop Gabriella only to catch her a second later as Gabriella shrieked.

"Okay, okay, okay…Troy Bolton is…the ugliest guy at East High," Gabriella said with a smirk on her face before she started laughing uncontrollably. She shrieked again as Troy dropped her legs so that her toes were touching the water.

"Troy, it's freakin' freezing!! Don't do that!"

"Say it then."

"No way."

Troy dropped her legs so her ankles were now immersed in the water, but he was still holding her around her waist. He could barely control his laughter as she screamed once again.

"Okay, stop! Troy Bolton is without a doubt the hottest guy at East High."

"Why thank you Miss Montez. You are too kind." And with that, Troy set Gabriella down beside the pool.

Once she was set down on her feet, Gabriella got an evil look in her eye and pushed Troy into the pool.

As Troy emerged from the water shivering and shaking the water out of his hair, he looked up at Gabriella who was once again laughing uncontrollably. "You're in for it now Montez!"

And with that, Troy began to chase Gabriella around his backyard. She took off for the basketball court, went out to the playground, and up to the fort their dads built for them as kids. She had a few options of which way to get down as Troy began to climb up. She looked towards the pole she could slide down, but decided the slide would be an easier escape. Troy anticipated this and ran down the steps catching her at the end of the slide. He gave her a huge hug in order to get her soaking wet, and then he threw her over his shoulder once again. This time, as he neared the pool, he jumped in with her still over his shoulder.

"Told you that you would get it Montez! That'll teach you to mess with me!"

"Troy, I can't believe you did that! Now my good basketball shorts are soaking wet!"

Troy began to laugh as Gabriella tried to dunk his head underwater. Just then, Troy's mom walked out. "Troy, your phone has been beeping for the past twenty minutes and Anna and I can't figure out how to get it to stop."

Troy and Gabriella looked at each other and began laughing at their moms and their issues with technology.

"Thanks mom. I'll get out and turn it off. Just set it right there on the table," Troy said as he began to climb up the steps out of the pool with Gabriella following close behind.

"Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez, what are you two doing in the pool with your shoes and basketball clothes on!?" Troy's mother yelled out more shocked than angry seeing them get out of the pool.

"Well you see Mrs. Bolton, your son decided it would be funny to throw me in the pool along with him after I insulted his unbelievably huge ego," Gabriella said slightly laughing as Troy faked looking hurt. Lucille Bolton just shook her head and walked back inside amused at the two.

Troy shook his head as he walked over to his phone and shut off the alarm that he had set.

"What was that for?" Gabriella asked.

"Oh, the movie starts in thirty minutes. We better get showered and dressed. Taylor and Chad are meeting us there at 10:45, and it's 10:15 right now. Come on," Troy said as he started walking inside pulling Gabriella along, "you can shower here".

"Troy, I can shower at my own house…I only live next door."

"You could…but it's easier and quicker if you just do it here," Troy said as Gabriella nodded in agreement.

* * *

Troy and Gabriella have been neighbors since they were born. Their parents were all friends in high school, and Gabriella's parents had moved from San Diego up to the small town Troy's parents lived in a little north of San Diego a few months before Gabriella was born. The area they lived in was very open. Troy's grandfather gave each of his children a piece of land to build a house on. Troy's family lived next to his grandparents, and Troy's uncle lived next to them on the other side. Gabriella's family built their house right across from the Bolton home. Gabriella and Troy have been best friends since birth. Their families are all really close and they are all together often, even for family vacations.

Gabriella has always been quite the tomboy. Growing up, she has always been around boys more than girls. Troy has two older twin brothers, Adam and Aaron, who are twenty, and a younger brother Tyler, who is ten. He also has two cousins who live next door—Kyle, who is fifteen and Chris, who is ten. Gabriella has two brothers—Anthony, who is nineteen, and Michael, who is twelve. She also has a newborn baby sister, Emilee, who is three months old. Being the tomboy that she is, Gabriella has always been into sports. She and Troy were always on the same little league baseball, and basketball teams. She even talked her parents into letting her play football when she was eight years old. However, when she turned ten years old, her parents stopped letting her play on boys' teams and tried to force her into more feminine things. Yet her parents didn't succeed in that because Gabriella has never been girlie.

Now as a junior in high school, she still has very few friends who are girls. Aside from Taylor, Sharpay, and Kelsi (whose boyfriends are on the basketball team), she only hangs out with Troy and his basketball team. Much to the disappointment of her parents, Gabriella's wardrobe consists of baseball caps, t-shirts, jeans, and basketball clothes. She never wears make-up or does her hair, and she only wears clothes that are baggy and comfortable.

* * *

After ten minutes, both Troy and Gabriella were showered and dressed headed out the front door towards Troy's car. They arrived at the theater, and paid for their tickets before walking inside to get some seats. Troy bought some popcorn and drinks for the two and they made their way to their seats. Taylor and Chad came in moments later holding hands and sat down next to Troy. Chad had always been one of Troy's best friends, and he was a good friend of Gabriella's. Taylor, his girlfriend, had become somewhat close with Gabriella; Taylor was the closest female friend Gabriella had. As Taylor and Chad continued to hold hands and kiss, Troy became disgusted because they were showing a little too much PDA for his liking.

"Next time we go to the movies, we're going alone; or, we're not sitting next to these two", Troy whispered in Gabriella's ear making her smile.

Throughout the movie, Troy began to lean closer to Gabriella because he was trying to get as far away from Taylor and Chad who were constantly kissing and cuddling. Eventually, Troy let out a sigh as he stood up and grabbed Gabriella's hand. She looked at him confused, but he just continued to walk down the stairs two rows and walked to the center and sat down.

Once seated, Gabriella leaned over, "Okay, so what the heck was that all about?"

"Well, I was getting tired of seeing and hearing what those two were doing, so I decided to move. I didn't want to be down here by myself, so I brought you with me".

"Fine, but how come we left the popcorn up there wise guy?"

"Crap! Ah, I'll go get some more."

"No, it's cool. No worries. The movie will be over soon anyways." Gabriella said as she put her hand down on the armrest between the two of them, unaware of the fact that Troy's hand was already there. As their hands briefly touched, sparks went through them both, and they both quickly pulled away.

'What the crap am I doing? I can't keep feeling this way about Gabi. She is my best friend, and there is no way she feels the same way about me. She's too beautiful, smart, funny, talented, kind…way out of my league'_. _Troy quickly glanced at Gabriella before focusing once again on the movie. He had developed a crush on Gabriella in junior high, and those feelings had just grown stronger. He thought back to the first time he realized he was in love with her.

* * *

_Troy was walking down the school halls with his friends Gabriella, Chad, Taylor, Zeke, Sharpay, Kelsi, Jason, and Ryan. They were all discussing the upcoming Spring Dance that was to be held in two weeks. The guys pulled Troy aside for a moment and told the girls they would catch up in a minute. _

"_So what was so important that you had to grab my shirt and interrupt my conversation with Gabi?" Troy asked Chad. _

"_Well Captain, we want to know if you have asked her to the Spring Dance yet?" Chad quickly responded. _

"_Why do I have to ask her…the last few dances we went as a group of friends and everything was fine." _

"_Because we all have dates, Troy. You and Gabi are the only two going solo at the moment." _

"_What about Ryan? Who's he going with?" _

"_I'm going with Jessica who's in the drama club" Ryan responded._

"_So Gabi and I are going to be sitting at the table alone while you all ditch us for your PDA moments?" The guys all nodded, but Chad quickly spoke up._

"_Not if you and Gabi go together and have some of your own PDA moments!" _

_Troy looked shocked and slightly taken back by the comment as he slapped Chad on his head._

"_Ahh! Watch the hair!" Chad yelled. _

"_Ahh! Watch your comments!" Troy replied mockingly in the same tone. _

"_Anyways Captain, we all know you two like each other. You have since elementary school. So just ask her before someone else does. You guys are going to hang out all night anyways, like last year when you ditched all of us to go watch the Lakers' playoff game in the teachers' lounge". _

_Troy smiled remembering that night, while the guys all rolled their eyes. _

_-- -- -- --_

_Later that day Gabriella and Troy were at her house playing ping-pong in the backyard. Gabriella suddenly stopped. "Hey Troy, are you going solo to the dance this year?" _

"_I don't know. Why?"_

"_Cause the girls were saying they all have dates now, and I'm the only one without one. I was wondering if…" Gabi suddenly looked shy, something Troy wasn't used to, and she looked away. _

"_If what, Gabi?" Troy asked nervously, hoping that she would ask him and hint that she liked him, even though he was pretty positive she didn't like him in that way. _

"_Well, if you would like to go together as friends…I mean not as a date, but just together so that we won't be solo. I mean we would hang out together anyways…but I guess it's just the formality of it all." Gabriella nervously said. _

_She definitely felt more for Troy and wanted to go as more than friends, but she knew (or at least thought she knew) that Troy would never feel the same way about a girl like her who only wore basketball clothes and acted like one of the guys. _

_Troy was silent and he began to stare down at his feet unable to look Gabriella in the eyes. It felt like a knife went through his heart when she said "as friends". He didn't want to hurt her and say no, yet he didn't want to expose his feelings now that he thought she didn't feel that way. _

_Gabriella noticing Troy's actions, quickly said, "It's okay Troy. Forget I said anything. Dances aren't for me anyways. My parents just pressure me to go, but I think I'll just stay home this year anyways." _

_Troy quickly looked up into Gabriella's eyes and shook his head indicating she was wrong. "No Gabi. I would love to go with you as your da-uh I mean friend. Don't say you're not going, 'cause then who would I go with to sneak into the teachers' lounge to watch Game 5 of the Lakers versus the Kings?" Troy replied, with a smile forming on his face at the end. _

_Gabriella seeing this smile, became weak in the knees, and nervously grabbed onto the table. She began to smile and laugh lightly at his comment about the Lakers and responded, "You're right. Game 5 wouldn't be the same watching it at home by myself without you throwing stuff at the TV." _

_-- -- -- --_

_A couple of days later, the night of the dance had arrived. The girls were all getting ready at Gabriella's house, while the boys were at Troy's place across the street. After the guys were ready, they grabbed their flowers for the girls and headed over to Gabriella's house. Mrs. Montez let them all in giving each of them a hug, and smiling widely at Troy. He was wearing a black suit with a black shirt and a white tie, and he was holding a single red rose. "The girls are upstairs; I'll go let them know you're here" she said as she began to walk up the stairs. _

_Gabriella was the first one to come down because she never took long getting ready. She walked down the stairs in a white floor-length, spaghetti strap dress. Troy's stomach was full of butterflies when they made eye contact. He'd seen her before somewhat dressed up, but never like this. Her hair was slightly pulled up but it looked very natural as did her make-up. Mr. and Mrs. Montez along with all the guys were smirking and staring at the two as Troy grabbed her hand and handed her the single red rose. Both were blushing yet still looking into each other's eyes. Troy pulled her into a hug and whispered, "You look amazing." _

_Gabriella blushed as Troy pulled back. Troy looked around at everyone staring at the two of them and suddenly felt embarrassed. He saw Gabriella looked like she was embarrassed as well, so he decided to help them both out. "Wanna go outside while we wait for the rest of them to finish getting ready and come down?" Troy asked. Gabriella smiled before agreeing. _

_When they arrived at the dance, they all made their way to a table in the corner of the room. Everyone except Troy and Gabriella then made their way to the dance floor. Gabriella and Troy went to the snack table and got some food and drinks. They then sat at the table talking and laughing, just hanging out like they normally would. _

"_Hey, what time is it?" Troy asked suddenly. _

"_Um…6:30, why?"_

"_Cause the game starts at 7:00, and I wanted to ask you for a dance before we make a break for it and sneak into the teachers' lounge for the game." Troy didn't know what came over him to give him the courage to ask her to dance, but he was glad that he did. _

_Gabriella blushed. "Game starts at 7:15 you dork; but let me go to the bathroom and then when I get back we'll start our secret mission. Sound good?"_

"_What about the dance?" Troy asked grinning widely. _

"_That too." Gabriella said smiling as her face turned a very bright shade of pink before she headed off for the restrooms. _

_Rachel, the head cheerleader, was watching and listening to the two as she sat at the table next to them. When Gabriella headed towards the restroom, Rachel got up and followed her. Once inside, she grabbed Gabriella on the shoulder and spun her around, looking into her eyes with what Gabriella identified as anger and jealousy. _

"_Look, Troy is off limits for you Gabriella. Just because you two are close friends, that doesn't mean he likes you as something more. Who would like a girl like you who dresses like a boy? No one. Guys like girls who look good—who are beautiful—and you are the farthest from that. Trust me, Troy Bolton does not want to dance with you, kiss you, or date you, and he never will." And with that, Rachel turned around and stormed out of the bathroom. All this time, Gabriella's eyes were filling with tears. _

_Gabriella immediately ran out of the bathroom and tried to run towards the door without people seeing her. But this didn't go unnoticed by Troy. Troy was held up though by Rachel who stepped in front of him and began to chat. Troy heard nothing of what she said, all that was going through his mind were thoughts of what happened to Gabriella. In the middle of Rachel's sentence, Troy gently pushed past Rachel and headed towards the exit. When he arrived at the Montez home, he could see that Gabriella was in her room. He knew the Montez family was over at his house with his parents, so he went to the back of the house and climbed up the tree onto Gabriella's balcony. _

_Gabriella looked up when she heard a gentle tapping on the window. She quickly tried to dry her tears as she walked towards the balcony door. Troy's heart broke when he saw her red eyes and tear stained face. When she opened the door, she tried to act nonchalant as she went to give Troy a high five and said, "What's up?" _

_Troy, however, refused the high five and said nothing as he grabbed her shoulder and pulled her into a loving hug. Gabriella lost it again at that moment and tears began to stream down her face. Troy continued to hug her and gently rub her back for what seemed like hours until she finally stopped crying. He took her over to the swing on the balcony and sat down beside her, as he put his arm around her and pulled her head down to lay on his shoulder. After a while, he finally sensed she had calmed down enough, so he decided to get her to tell him what went wrong. _

"_Gabi, what happened? You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but if you don't mind, I'd like to hear about it." _

"_It's no big deal Troy, and trust me, you don't want to hear about my stupid problems."_

"_Hey, look at me," Troy said as he lifted her chin with his fingers, "nothing about you is stupid; now spill…I'm your best friend, and I want to know."_

"_Well, I was in the bathroom, when Rachel came up to me, and said some hurtful, yet true stuff. It got to me…I cried…I ran home…that's pretty much it." _

"_What did she say?" Troy asked, his eyes filling with anger. _

"_She just pointed out some facts about me that I am aware of; yet, that I don't like to think about." Troy looked at her willing her with his eyes to continue. "She said that I probably have never had a boyfriend, let alone a first date, a first kiss, or even a first dance. I've never told you this really Troy, but I've never really had a guy like me that I know of. I know guys like me as a friend because I can play sports, and kick their butts most of the time, I love going to rock concerts, I'm not girlie, I hate shopping…you know…the reasons you guys are basically friends with me. I'm one of the guys. But, that doesn't mean I don't want those things—that I don't want to go on dates, be given flowers, dress up once in awhile, dance, have a boyfriend, etc, etc. Not only do I want all of those things, yet never really had any, but also my family and others close to me often straight up say or imply that until I become more feminine, those things will never happen. It just hurts, and I guess I have low self-esteem, and tough Gabriella has a soft spot." _

_Gabriella said all of this somewhat tearfully, looking at the ground, afraid to look Troy in the eyes. She couldn't tell her best friend that she loved him and had a crush on him since elementary school…she couldn't tell him that it hurt so much because Rachel said that Troy would never feel that way about her._

_Troy realized this was his shot—his moment to tell Gabriella that he liked her and wanted to fulfill all of those things for her, but he didn't have the courage to say all of that yet. He was afraid she wouldn't feel that way about him and if he told her his feelings, she would be polite and try to let him down as easily as possible but in the process, their friendship would be slightly ruined. But, he decided he had enough courage for one thing. Troy stood up and reached his hand out to Gabriella. As she looked at him questioningly, he kneeled down in front of her, and wiped the tears from her face with his right hand. "Gabriella Montez, may I have the honor of this dance?" _

_Gabriella looked up at him and smiled. "Uh Troy…there's no music." _

"_Who says we need music? Besides, I believe you owe me a dance from earlier." _

_Gabriella softly put her hand inside his and stood up. He put his other hand on her waist, as she put hers on his shoulder. They stepped closer to each other as she leaned her head on his shoulder once again. Then Troy did something completely unexpected that rarely happened unless he was messing around, thought he was alone, or if he was in church—Troy started singing. But not just singing any song…he began to sing one of her favorites. _

When I see your smile,  
Tears roll down my face  
I can't replace  
And now that I'm strong, I have figured out,  
How this world turns cold and it breaks through my soul  
And I know I'll find deep inside me, I can be the one

I will never let you fall  
I'll stand up with you forever  
I'll be there for you through it all  
Even if saving you sends me to heaven

It's okay  
It's okay  
It's okay

Seasons are changing,  
And waves are crashing,  
And stars are falling all for us  
Days grow longer and nights grow shorter,  
I can show you I'll be the one

I will never let you fall.  
I'll stand up with you forever  
I'll be there for you through it all  
Even if saving you sends me to heaven

'Cause you're my, you're my,  
My true love, my whole heart  
Please don't throw that away  
'Cause I'm here for you  
Please don't walk away and,  
Please tell me you'll stay

Use me as you will  
Pull my strings just for a thrill  
And I know I'll be okay,  
Though my skies are turning gray

I will never let you fall  
I'll stand up with you forever  
I'll be there for you through it all,  
Even if saving you sends me to heaven

I will never let you fall  
I'll stand up with you forever  
I'll be there for you through it all,  
Even if saving you sends me to heaven

_As Troy finished the song, they were still dancing, and Gabriella had tears in her eyes. Very rarely did she cry, but tonight she couldn't help it; no guy had ever asked her to dance, and no guy had ever sung for her. And, it wasn't just some guy…it was Troy. She didn't know he could sing that well, because he normally sang quietly or loudly while joking around. He definitely had a beautiful voice and this was one of the moments she knew she would forever remember. _

_Troy saw Gabriella crying and gently wiped away her tears once again as he looked deep into her beautiful brown eyes. He finally had the courage to tell her, he thought, but just as he was about to, her bedroom door swung open and Anthony walked through shouting her name. _

"_Gabi! Hey Troy! Did you two see the game? It was freakin' incredible! 4__th__ quarter, down by two, Fisher kicks it out to Kobe at the 3-point line, two seconds left, he pulls back, shoots, and scores! Bye-bye Kings…hello round three of the playoffs for the Lakers. Amazing!" _

_Seeing the look on their faces and the fact that they were holding hands, Anthony stopped. "Oh, sorry…were you two busy? I'll go back to my room," he said as he smirked and turned around. Being around the two so much, he figured Troy liked Gabriella and he knew Gabriella liked Troy since she'd mentioned it to him once. _

_Once Anthony was gone, Gabriella turned to Troy. "How could we forget to watch the game, and how come you came up here instead of going home and watching it?" Gabriella asked. _

"_Hey…you are much more important than a basketball game. Besides, I have it on tivo…wanna go watch it?" _

_Gabriella smiled and nodded as the two headed over to Troy's house. Troy had wanted to say something to Gabriella about his feelings before Anthony came in, but now he just felt too nervous and uncertain of her feelings. One thing was for certain though…Troy Bolton knew that he was in fact in love with his best friend. There was no denying it now. _

* * *

As they walked out of the movie, Troy and Gabriella met up with Taylor and Chad in the lobby. The four then headed over to California Pizza Kitchen to grab some lunch.

"So, why did you two get up and leave halfway through the movie?" Chad asked as the four sat down.

"We didn't leave…we were just getting away from you two lovebirds," Troy responded.

"Or, you were going to sit somewhere else so you could make out without Taylor and me sitting next to you," Chad responded with a smile on his face, making the two blush and look away.

"The only people making out in that theater were you two...so don't accuse us of PDA," Troy said once he felt the embarrassing moment had passed.

"Whatever dude," Chad responded.

"Anyways, you guys excited about school starting next week?" Taylor asked.

"I am definitely looking forward to starting up volleyball and basketball training again, and my classes are definitely going to be exciting this year," Gabriella said.

"Yeah, I don't know about the classes part…but I'm definitely excited for basketball training…and our first football game, which is next Saturday night," Troy replied.

Troy and Gabriella were both very much into sports. Both were also at the top of their class academically, however Gabriella had a little more interest in academics than Troy.

"Speaking of football…what week is homecoming?" Taylor asked Troy.

Troy had just taken a bite of pizza, so Chad decided to respond. "Homecoming is the weekend of October 15th, which gives Troy a couple of weeks to ask Gabi here to be his date," he ended nonchalantly.

Troy kicked Chad under the table while he gave him a "shut your mouth" look, while Gabriella blushed and focused on looking outside.

After lunch, Chad went to drop Taylor off at home before he drove over to Troy's to meet up with him and Gabriella to play a little basketball. When Gabriella went inside to get a drink, Troy turned to Chad. "What the heck was with your comment about homecoming?"

"What!? That it's the weekend of the 15th? Was I wrong?" Chad asked suddenly worried he had said the wrong date.

"No Chad…about me asking Gabi to be my date! Why'd you say that?"

"Maybe because you are head-over-heels in love with her, but too chicken to say something."

"Well why'd you say that? She wouldn't want to be my date anyways."

"Why not Captain? You two have gone to a dance together before."

"Yeah, but that was as friends…you said 'date' and 'date' implies more than friends."

"So, don't you want to go with her as 'more than friends'?"

"Of course…but she doesn't, and that's the problem," Troy replied sadly.

"How do you know she doesn't? Has she said that to you?"

"No; but I'm definitely not the type of guy she likes."

"Again I ask…has she said that to you?" Chad replied. Troy shook his head indicating that she hadn't. "Exactly…I see the way she looks at you. Dude, you have a shot. Now go for it before some other guy does, and you're left all alone sulking to me about how much you hate your life."

It was at that moment that Troy realized that Chad was right. If he didn't act soon, Troy knew some other guy would come along and Gabriella would say yes to him. Troy understood that he may not be what Gabriella was looking for in a guy, but he knew that if he never asked, he would always be left wondering if he really was the right guy and he was just too scared to ever act upon his feelings therefore missing his shot.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. **

**AN: Hopefully the next update will be sooner. The song used in the last chapter was 'Your Guardian Angel' by the Red Jumpsuit Apparatus (I forgot to put that in last time). Hope you like this chapter. It's a little shorter, but the next one will be longer. **

* * *

School had been in session for two weeks, and homecoming was only three weeks away. Troy had yet to ask Gabriella to be his date to homecoming. Each time he had tried, he backed down because he didn't think what he wanted to say was good enough. To him, this was Gabriella—his best friend, his crush of many years, the girl he had been in love with for years. He wanted the moment to be perfect and he definitely did not want to screw it up.

Troy sat in homeroom lost in his own thoughts when suddenly a basketball slammed on his desk. He looked up out of his daze to see Chad standing next to him with a smile playing on his face.

"What the heck Chad?"

"What's up? I'm just checkin' in with my best friend," Chad said as he patted Troy on the shoulder. "So, have you asked that special someone to homecoming yet, or was that what the daydreaming was just about?"

Troy shook his head with a frustrated look on his face.

"Hey cheer up man. Just ask her and all will be well. You'll be off in la-la land in no time".

"Dude, it's not that simple Chad. Every time I go to ask…I chicken out. I want it to be perfect."

"So give her an In-n-Out burger with a note in it saying, 'Gabi, I love you and want to forever be with you skipping along in lovers land'." Just then Troy threw the basketball into Chad's gut. "What?" Chad asked.

"Where do you come up with these ideas? An In-n-Out burger with a note asking her out equals perfection!?"

"Troy…seriously, we're going to In-n-Out tonight. Are you kidding me? In-n-out is heaven!"

"Whatever Chad. Anyways, I don't know. I know Gabi so well, and normally I'm so comfortable with her. But every time I think about this, I realize, I don't know what would be perfect for her."

Just then, Gabriella walked into homeroom and sat next to Troy. "Perfect for who?"

Chad just smiled as Troy began to stutter. "Uh…um…huh?"

"Perfect for Keira Knightley", Chad responded. "You know, Troy has this huge crush on her. He was trying to think what would be the perfect way to ask her out if he ever met her…like if he should dress up as a pirate and pull his hair back like that Orlando Broom guy, or if he should….Ow!" Chad yelled as Troy kicked him under his desk. "What the heck dude?"

"Shut-up", Troy said with a look in his eye telling Chad to not say anything stupid that would tip Gabriella off as to what they were really discussing. "And it's Orlando Bloom, you idiot…not Broom."

"Whatever man…do you really think I pay attention to Taylor and Sharpay when they ramble on about him?"

Gabriella began to giggle as the homeroom teacher walked into the room. Troy breathed a sigh of relief.

After class, Troy met Gabriella by her locker. She looked like she was off in deep thoughts, and she looked somewhat frustrated. He remembered how she was upset this morning, and how she told him they could talk about it later.

Suddenly Gabriella felt two arms wrap around her waist from the side. She turned and hugged Troy. He leaned down to her ear, "you okay?"

"Um, yeah. Just thinking about something." Troy gave her a look to continue. " Okay, well, I just had a disagreement with my parents this morning". Gabi began to re-tell the morning's events.

* * *

"_Gabi, it's time to wake up," Mrs. Montez yelled as she swung open Gabriella's bedroom door. Gabriella rolled over to look at her alarm clock as she groaned. "Are you kidding me? My family seriously has a sixth sense known as 'consistently wake me up one minute before my alarm rings'. How the heck do they do it?" Gabriella spoke aloud to herself as she shut off her alarm and walked into the bathroom. After getting dressed, she went downstairs to join her family at the breakfast table. She kissed her little sister on the forehead and sat down in between Anthony and Michael. _

"_Anthony, why are you up at 6:30 in the morning? You're a college student…shouldn't you be asleep until noon, and then go to class at 1:00?" Gabriella asked slightly grinning. _

"_Yeah...well…somehow Adam, Aaron, and myself all ended up having an 8:00 class every morning. It sucks to be a freshman again. Vicious cycle…you finally reach the top at high school, only to be returned to the bottom once again." Anthony replied slightly frustrated. _

"_Well, I bet Troy is also enjoying this rare opportunity to make fun of his older brothers." Gabriella said smirking. _

"_Speaking of Troy, have you finally admitted your undying love for him?" Michael asked Gabriella holding back his laughter. Gabriella replied by pushing his shoulder making him fall off of his chair. _

"_Gabriella, be nice to your little brother," Mr. Montez said. _

_Gabriella sighed being frustrated. 'What the heck? Little brothers get away with so much'._

_Mr. Montez continued. "So, has Troy or anyone else asked you to the homecoming dance yet?" Gabriella suddenly had a feeling that this day was not going to be a great one. _

"_No one's asked me yet, dad," Gabriella replied hoping that would be the end of the subject, even though she knew it wouldn't be since she'd been through this for years. _

"_Gabi, no one's going to ask you if you don't start acting like a young lady," Gabriella's mom suddenly said. Gabriella shook her head and looked down, her face showing her frustration, but her mother continued. "You need to stop wearing baseball caps and basketball clothes, and you need to pretty yourself up." _

"_Mom, Troy asked her to last year's Spring Dance," Anthony spoke up trying to help his little sister out. She gave him a thankful look, but her mom continued. _

"_They went as friends. Troy didn't ask her to be his date." When Gabriella looked at her mother confused, she said, "Lucille told me". Gabriella made a mental note to slap Troy when she saw him for telling Lucille that fact. _

_Gabriella's dad then chimed in, "Gabi, don't you have something else to wear today besides that hat and basketball warm-ups? Don't you have a dress or something you could wear?" Gabriella shot her dad a look that said 'are you freakin kidding me?' _

"_Gabriella, go put on something else please."_

_Gabriella looked puzzled at her mom. _

"_Mom, Dad, do we have to have this discussion today? I really just want to wear these clothes 'cause I'm comfortable in them. You guys don't get onto Michael and Anthony for how they dress." _

"_That's because they are boys. You are a young lady and you need to dress like one. Otherwise no guy will ever look your way. Is that what you want?" Mrs. Montez replied. _

_Gabriella was about to argue back, but decided to comply instead of deal with the fighting anymore. She quickly changed into a shirt from her favorite band, Switchfoot, a pair of Dickies pants, and her black converses. She rushed downstairs when she heard the doorbell ring; she knew it was Troy coming to pick her up for school. _

"_Good morning Anna", Troy said giving Mrs. Montez a hug. As he entered the house, he greeted Mr. Montez, Michael, Anthony, and Emilee. As he was kissing Emilee's forehead, Gabriella walked down the stairs, and Troy walked over to her as they greeted each other with their normal high-five and fist pound, and their traditional "what's up?" _

"_See Gabi, that's what I'm talking about. You're a lady…not a guy. You should greet all the guys, even your close friends, with a 'hello' and a hug…not this 'what's up' and fist pound stuff," Gabriella's mom said. _

_Troy almost started laughing at the craziness of that comment until he saw the hurt in her eyes, and pulled Gabriella into a hug. _

"_Don't worry about them. Be yourself", Troy whispered in her ear, "I hope this helps to get them off your back though." _

_Gabriella smiled softly, as she turned to her family to wave good-bye. _

_As they walked out the door, Troy saw that something more than just that last comment was bothering Gabriella. "Gabi, you need to talk? What else did they say?"_

"_I'll tell you later Troy. I'm not quite ready to re-tell the latest episode in the Crappy Life of Gabriella story. I promise I'll tell you later today, okay?" _

_Troy pulled Gabriella into another hug. "Sounds great Gabi. We'll talk about it later. Nice shirt by the way. You look great." _

* * *

"I hate it Troy. I try not to let them get to me, and I know they love me and just want what's best. But, the longer I stay single, the more I begin to believe them."

"Gabi, I'm so sorry your family said that stuff to you and for the record, they are completely incorrect", Troy said as Gabriella finished the story with tears in her eyes.

Troy rarely saw Gabriella cry, and it tore him up inside. She nodded but couldn't really say anything. Troy was always so understanding and caring towards her. Her stomach was doing flips as he was staring into her eyes and gently rubbing her back. She couldn't form any sentences even though she wanted to say something.

Troy continued, "Hey Gabi, meet me at our secret hangout tonight, okay? Practice is over for me at 5:30, so I'll meet you there at 6:00."

Gabriella was finally able to force herself to speak, "Sounds great."

Troy and Gabriella shared one last hug before they went off in separate directions—Gabriella to 8th period Ceramics, while Troy went to 8th period Basketball Training.

Chad and Troy were in the weight room doing bench press.

"So Troy, have you asked Gabi to homecoming yet? I saw you two lovin' up on each other in the hallway," Chad said as he winked at Troy.

Troy lightly kicked Chad in the shin and began to laugh as Chad squealed like a girl.

"Dude, stop kicking me all the time. One day my leg is going to split in half," Chad said wincing as he grabbed his leg.

Troy began to laugh harder, "You obviously pay no attention in anatomy class cause that isn't possible."

"Yeah, no duh Einstein," Chad replied.

Troy laughed before continuing. "And to answer your question, no…I haven't asked her yet. But I'm going to tonight".

"Alright Captain!" Troy smiled at Chad's happy reaction and Chad's resulting happy dance.

"What happened to your injured leg?"

"Miraculous healing. Hearing that two of your best friends are finally gonna do something about their undying love for one another has miraculous healing powers".

After practice, Troy rushed home, took a shower, and got changed into a dark blue collared shirt and a pair of jeans before rushing out the door to the lakes in town. As kids, Gabriella and Troy would always go to the lakes that were a five minute walk from their houses. They found a little area amongst some palm trees hidden off to the side with some park benches, that to them felt like being in a jungle or something similar.

As Troy got near their special hangout, he saw Gabriella already there sitting on the bench. She was wearing her Lakers hat, black Nike basketball shorts, and a light blue Nike shirt. He knew from their talk earlier, that she and her family all thought she didn't look attractive, but to him, she looked stunningly beautiful as she sat there in the moonlight.

"Hey there", Troy said as he walked up behind her smiling.

Gabriella smiled widely, "Hey Troy".

As Troy sat down next to her on the bench, she could smell his cologne. She sighed to herself relishing the moment until Troy's voice brought her out of it.

"So how was the rest of your day? Did it get better after my amazing motivational speech?" Troy asked with amusement evident in his voice.

"You only said like two sentences Troy", Gabriella joked back.

"Yeah, but I also gave you a Bolton hug which does wonders for the soul."

Gabriella started to laugh but then smiled and hugged Troy whispering in his ear, "You're the best. Thank you."

Troy blushed. He was nervous, but he knew now the moment was as perfect as it was gonna get, and it was about time he asked her to the dance before someone else did.

"Gabi?" Troy asked, his voice slightly revealing his nerves.

"Yeah, Troy?" She responded, nervous that maybe he had bad news to tell her from the sound of his voice.

Troy grabbed her hand, "I still can't believe your family would say stuff like that to you, and make you feel ugly when to me, you are definitely one of the most beautiful girls I've seen. And you can definitely get any guy you want."

Gabriella smiled and looked down at her feet too afraid that Troy would see her true feelings for him if she looked him in the eye. She thought he was just saying those things because he is her best friend.

"Gabi?" Troy put his hand on her chin and lifted her face up towards his, "would you do me the honor of being my date to the homecoming dance?" Troy couldn't believe he actually got the question out, and aside from the nervousness in his voice and the fact that Gabriella still hadn't responded, he felt that it was going pretty well.

Gabriella couldn't believe he just asked her that question. In fact she thought she was daydreaming, until she felt him lightly shake her out of her daze. "Seriously Troy?"

Troy looked into her eyes and grabbed both of her hands before saying, "Absolutely."

Both of them smiled so brightly and Gabriella pulled Troy into a hug. She leaned up and whispered in his ear, "Thank you Troy."

Then before she could think about it, she kissed him on the cheek which caused them both to blush and look away.

After a few moments, Troy turned towards Gabriella. "Gabi, I want you to know this is a date; we're not going as just friends like last time, okay?" Gabriella smiled and nodded.

"Also," Troy continued, "I got you a gift…consider it an early birthday present."

Gabriella smiled and unwrapped the box which contained a concert ticket and a Disneyland season pass.

"Wow. This is the opening show in Anaheim for the new Switchfoot tour. I can't believe it Troy!"

"Yeah, and even better news….I talked to our parents and they agreed to let us ditch school that day to go to Disneyland in the morning and then we'll head over to the House of Blues in Downtown Disney around noon to wait in line for the show."

"You're gonna wait in line for eight hours with me for this show?" Gabriella asked still shocked from everything that happened that night.

"Of course Gabi. We can't go see our favorite band and not be in the front row, can we?"

Gabriella smiled once again as she and Troy hugged once more. Troy stood up and grabbed her hand to help her up.

"Come on, let's go for a walk and then we'll go grab something to eat. That way you don't have to return to the house of painful comments until later on…sound good?"

Gabriella nodded as Troy interlaced their fingers and began to walk around the lakes. To the few people who walked by, they both looked like they had slept with hangers in their mouths the night before. The two of them were happier than they had been in awhile.

They walked back towards Troy's car since Gabriella had walked, and once inside, Troy turned on a mix she'd made him and turned it to one of her favorite songs, "Your Guardian Angel", and he once again grabbed her hand and entwined their fingers. They ironically stopped by In-n-Out to grab some food, and then headed back to Gabriella's house. When they arrived in her driveway, Troy walked Gabriella up to the door. They stood there staring into each other's eyes until Michael opened the door.

"Hey guys! What's up?" Michael asked.

Troy turned to look at Michael. "Not much man, just got back from the lakes and In-n-Out."

"Sweet. Want to come inside and watch a movie with us? We were going to watch Remember the Titans."

"Sure. I can stay, since it's Friday and I don't have practice in the morning because we have a game tomorrow night. You gonna be there?"

"Definitely. I never miss a game. I know you guys ate, but we got some pizza if you want some." They both smiled and nodded their heads. "Okay, good, because we ordered way too much pizza. Come on in."

Michael stepped aside as Troy and Gabriella walked inside. They grabbed some pizza and drinks and sat down on one of the couches. Once they were finished eating, they both leaned back to watch the movie. Anthony, Adam, and Aaron walked in and sat down on the couch with Troy and Gabriella forcing them to scoot closer together. Troy subtly placed his arm around Gabriella's shoulders as she snuggled into his side, leaning her head on his shoulder as he leaned his head on top of hers. The family didn't pay attention to the two as they cuddled closely. This was a relief to the two as they didn't want to ruin this night by getting strange looks and embarrassing comments from their families.

When the movie ended, Troy lightly shook Gabriella and led her up to her room. Once they were outside the door, Troy pulled Gabriella into yet another hug.

"Thanks for agreeing to go with me to the dance Gabi. I can't wait till next Friday. The concert is definitely gonna rock."

"I'll see you tomorrow at my game?" Gabriella asked.

"Yes ma'am", Troy responded winking at Gabriella. "And, you're gonna be at my game, right?"

"Yes sir," Gabriella responded winking back at Troy. The two had never missed each other's sports games since they were kids.

Troy held out his hand as Gabriella gave him a high five and a fist pound.

"Later Gabi."

"Later Troy."

Gabriella looked at herself in the mirror and smiled widely for what seemed like the millionth time that night. She remembered the day's events and knew that even though the day started out horribly, it would definitely be a day she would remember for a long time.


	3. Chapter 3

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AN: Thanks to everyone for reading and reviewing so far. I will try to update more frequently. The song used in this chapter is Head Over Heels by Switchfoot.

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything, including Disneyland, HSM, and Switchfoot. **

* * *

It was Friday—one week since Troy had asked Gabriella to homecoming. Troy arrived at the Montez home at 8:00 in the morning. He and Gabriella were planning on getting to Disneyland around 9:00 and spending most of the morning and early afternoon there before heading over to the venue. Troy knocked on the door, and a few seconds later Mrs. Montez answered the door.

"Good morning Troy! There's no need to knock; you know you're like family to us," Anna said as she gave Troy a hug.

"Good morning to you too! And, thank you Mrs. Montez. Is Gabi ready yet?"

"For the millionth time, call me Anna, Troy."

"Sorry, it just slipped."

"Well, you make me feel old, so don't let it happen again," Anna continued laughing slightly as Troy smiled. "Anyways, Gabi should be ready to go. Go ahead and run on up to get her."

Troy smiled and then ran quickly up the stairs. He knocked on the door and heard Gabriella tell him to come in. As he opened the door he looked around and smiled at all her posters. Her walls were covered with posters from all her favorite bands (many of Switchfoot) and lots of Lakers posters and some from other teams as well. It looked almost identical to his room.

"Hopefully I can add a few more posters to my wall tomorrow, maybe even a signed one," Gabriella spoke up pulling Troy out of his daze.

"Most definitely…we aren't leaving till we meet the band", Troy said smiling. "Ready to go? Disneyland and Switchfoot await."

"Yes sir. Let's get out of here before our parents change their minds and make us go to school."

"Crap, you're right," Troy said as he grabbed Gabriella by the arm and drug her downstairs.

"Bye Mom and Dad," Gabriella said as they were running towards the front door.

"Gabi, Troy," Anna began, "drive safe and don't stay out late…stick together…make sure your phones are on..."

"We got it Mom. See you in the morning!" Gabriella said quickly as she pushed Troy out the front door.

The two quickly ran to Troy's car and took off before they got any more lectures. After an hour drive and a quick stop at a McDonalds drive through for breakfast, they arrived at Disneyland.

"So where to my friend?" Troy asked as they got through the line to enter California Adventure.

"Bathroom," Gabriella responded and jetted off to the restrooms on the right.

"Girls," Troy muttered to himself as he leaned on the wall outside the restrooms. As he was sitting there he looked up at the people who just sat beside him and noticed it was the lead singer of Switchoot and his brother who played bass. Being one of his favorite bands, Troy was suddenly nervous but he built up the courage to say something as he realized that this could be his opportunity to make this day even better for Gabriella.

He looked over and smiled at the guys, who smiled back knowing they'd been recognized.

"Hey, I'm Troy," he said as he stood up and reached out his hand for them to shake.

"Hey Troy, nice to meet you. I'm Jon," the blonde lead singer said.

"And I'm Tim," his brother said with a smile.

"Nice to meet you guys. My best friend and I are huge fans of yours; we're coming to the show tonight."

"Sweet man," Jon said. "Where you from?"

"I live about halfway between here and San Diego."

"Cool, yeah; we're from San Diego," Tim joined in.

"So I have a favor to ask," Troy began nervously, "my best friend Gabi's birthday is in two weeks, and I bought her a ticket to the show tonight for her birthday. She's never met you guys, but she's always wanted to. I know you guys normally hang out after the show to meet fans. Where can we go to find you guys after the show?"

"We will be out by our tour bus behind the venue about an hour after the show ends," Tim said.

"But hey," Jon jumped in, "why don't the two of you come over to our bus around noon and you can meet the rest of the guys."

"Really? That would be awesome!" Troy said with a huge grin on his face.

"Okay cool. Come to the side gate by the venue and tell the security guard there your name. We'll let him know you're coming and he'll bring you back by the bus," Jon said.

"Sweet! Thanks guys!"

"No problem," Jon said as he and Tim took off inside the park.

Gabriella came out of the bathroom just as Tim and Jon walked off so she didn't see Troy talking to them. Troy saw her coming over and decided he would surprise her later with the meet and greet with the band.

"Can you tell me why there is always a freakin' line for the girls bathroom?" Gabriella began. "Seriously, there are freakin' seventy stalls in there and it's 9:00 in the morning. Uh, I hate public bathrooms."

Troy began laughing hard and Gabriella smacked him on his arm. He quickly stopped and held out his arm for Gabriella to grab onto. "So now, where to Montez?"

"Tower of Terror!" Gabriella yelled excitedly.

"Heck yes! Let's go," Troy said as they hurried off in the crowd.

Even though it was Friday, it was October so there weren't a whole lot of people there. The line was only ten minutes for the Tower of Terror. Troy and Gabriella talked the entire time in line laughing and discussing the possible set list for the show. They both loved Disneyland but they had never been on this ride as it had just opened. As they neared the top for the first drop, neither knew what to expect. As they dropped, Gabriella shrieked and tried to grab the armrest, but instead grabbed Troy's hand which was laying there. She went to let go since she didn't mean to grab his hand, but Troy picked her hand up and interlaced their fingers as he placed their hands in his lap. Once they got off the ride, Troy kept a hold of Gabriella's hand as he led her out the exit.

After riding the Tower of Terror twice more, and riding Soaring Over California a couple of times, and Mickey's coaster once, the two headed towards Disneyland across the way.

"Now where to?" Troy asked. "You hungr--?" Before Troy could finish his question, Gabriella grabbed his hand and took off towards Space Mountain, her favorite ride.

As they were waiting in line, Troy saw a group of guys staring at Gabriella. He knew Gabriella didn't think she was beautiful, especially wearing her jeans and black Relient K shirt with her black hat, but to him she looked gorgeous as always. And Troy knew other guys saw that beauty as well; and even though they were all too shallow to ever ask her out because she wasn't more feminine, he still couldn't help but be jealous.

Troy grabbed Gabriella on her waist and pulled her to him from behind wrapping his arms around the front of her waist. He then leaned his head onto hers as she relaxed comfortably in his embrace.

'Dang Troy, you're gonna make me blush for the millionth time', Gabriella thought as Troy put his arms around her waist. 'This feels so right. I wonder if Troy actually is attracted to me or if he is just doing all this because we are best friends.'

The two continued to be affectionate towards one another as they rode Splash Mountain, Indiana Jones, and Pirates of the Carribean. They quickly grabbed some pizza at 11:30. After they finished Troy grabbed Gabriella's hand and headed towards the exit. Gabriella figured they were just going towards the venue to get in line early; she didn't know about Troy's surprise.

"I'm definitely excited for tonight and being front row and all, but I'm kinda bummed we aren't spending more time in the park riding rides," Gabriella spoke up as they walked towards the House of Blues in Downtown Disney.

"Me too, but we have season passes so we will definitely be back," Troy responded with a smile on his face. Troy was excited for the surprise meet and greet and also because he planned on taking Gabriella back into the park after the concert since they didn't need to hang around to meet the band and the park was open till midnight.

As they walked in front of the venue, they passed the area where you were supposed to line up. Gabriella looked at Troy confused.

"Hey you dork, we just passed the line," Gabriella said with a smirk as she tugged Troy in the opposite direction.

"Dork? That hurt Gabi," Troy said with amusement in his voice. "I guess I won't show you your surprise then."

Gabriella stopped and pulled Troy back in the original direction he was going as Troy smiled widely. 'Surprise? What is he talking about? Maybe he's taking me to the merch table or something,' Gabriella thought trying to figure it out.

Troy walked up to the gate and looked at the security guard and then at Gabriella who looked completely confused. "Troy Bolton," he said to the security guard. The guard took out a piece of paper, looked at it, and nodded as he opened up the gate.

"Go on back; the bus is around the corner," the security guard said as Troy walked past pulling Gabriella who seemed stiff and stuck in place.

"The bus!?" Gabriella asked getting more and more confused, as Troy continued to grin.

Just then Gabriella saw Jon walk out of the bus and look up at Troy with a smile on his face. "Troy! Hey man, good to see you again." Jon said as Gabriella stood in shock.

"Hi, I'm Jon." Gabriella nervously smiled and shook his hand.

"Gabriella."

Gabriella turned to Troy and he looked down at her almost laughing because of her expression. "Troy, how the heck….I mean what the….I mean…how do you guys know each other?" Gabriella finally managed.

"Oh yeah," Troy began, "did I forget to tell you? While you were in the bathroom I met Tim and Jon and they invited us to come hang out," Troy said as if it was nothing while still grinning at Gabriella.

Gabriella suddenly snapped out of her confused state and a huge smile broke out on her face as she leapt into Troy's arms giving him a big hug.

"Troy, you are awesome! Did I ever tell you that you are the best, best friend ever? Cause you are!!" Gabriella said still smiling while holding onto his torso. Just then Tim walked over and introduced himself.

"Hey guys! I'm Tim," he said as he extended a hand to Gabriella.

"Gabriella. It's awesome to finally meet you."

"Likewise. So Gabriella, Troy…want to come on the bus and meet the rest of the guys? Jerome is on the computer, and Chad and Drew are battling it out on Guitar hero," Tim asked the two.

"Heck yeah!" They both responded loudly.

"Alright come on," Jon said as he led them towards the bus. As they stepped onto the bus, they had to pinch themselves. Neither ever thought they'd end up on their favorite band's bus. As they entered they saw Jerome sitting at the table on a laptop. He got up and smiled as he walked over to them. The other two guys saw Troy and Gabriella and paused their game as they walked towards them as well.

They all introduced themselves and chatted for a few minutes. After giving Troy and Gabriella some free shirts and posters, signing all the posters, and taking pictures with the two, they were all sitting on the couches in the bus.

"So how are you two at Guitar Hero?" Drew asked Gabriella and Troy.

"We just beat the game on hard the other day," Gabriella spoke up smiling at Troy.

"Pretty amazing," Chad spoke up. "How bout you battle Drew here. He seems to think he's the champion." Gabriella smiled as Drew handed her the guitar.

The two battled a couple of times each winning once. Troy then battled Chad, and beat him both times. After another few songs, Gabriella looked at the time and then at Troy.

"Hey Troy, it's almost 1:00…people may be lining up soon. We better go".

Troy nodded and got up from the couch as they began to thank the guys and shake their hands.

"Hey, why don't you guys come in for sound check? We can make sure you get into the venue first tonight and get front row," Romey said as Troy and Gabriella smiled once again.

"Seriously?" They both responded, as the guys all nodded their heads. "Awesome!" they said again at the same time. The five guys all laughed at the two and then led them over to the venue for sound check. After sound check, Jon led the two of them over to a table.

"I talked to the manager, and you two can stay in here. Order some food and drinks or whatever and ten minutes before doors open, they'll bring you down to the front row. Sound good?" Jon asked as they both nodded.

Jon gave a little wave and started walking backstage.

"Hey Jon?" Troy said as he stood up.

"Yeah?" Jon turned around.

"Hey man, I have another favor to ask…if it's possible. Sorry for bugging you," Troy spoke quietly so Gabriella couldn't hear.

"Hey man, no bother at all. What's up?" Jon replied patting Troy on the shoulder.

"Well, I was wondering if you could maybe sing 'Happy Birthday' to Gabriella since her birthday is in a couple of weeks, and dedicate to her from me her favorite song of yours."

"Of course man," Jon responded, "what song?"

"Only Hope," Troy responded.

"Yeah man, no problem. Hey, are you two dating?" Jon asked smiling.

"Uh, not really. I'm taking her to homecoming next week, and I plan on asking her out soon. I mean I've liked her for years, so it's about time I step up. It's just she's my best friend and I don't want to wreck our friendship, you know?" Troy responded nervously.

"Yeah man, totally. I get it. Well, I hope it all works out for you. It was nice meeting you and I hope we see you again soon at another show."

"Most definitely," Troy said excitedly. He was somewhat confused as to why Jon asked about them dating, but he shrugged it off. Jon walked off smiling and little did Troy know what else Jon was planning.

"What was that all about?" Gabriella asked smirking as Troy sat back down.

"Another surprise, my friend…you'll soon find out," Troy said as he grabbed her hand on the table and interlaced their fingers once again as they both felt butterflies and smiled brightly at each other.

* * *

About halfway through their set after playing Awakening, Jon looked down at Troy and Gabriella and smiled, and then he looked at all the other guys in the band before he started talking to the crowd.

"So how are you all feeling tonight?" he asked as everyone started cheering. "Awesome. Well we're feeling good too. Today was a fun day…I mean a day playing music and meeting Mickey…what could be better right? Well, today was extra special cause we met up with two awesome people who are front row tonight. And, as this young man Troy has told me, it is Gabriella's birthday in a few weeks. So, can you all help me sing her happy birthday?" The crowd cheered loudly as Jon led them in the song.

Gabriella looked over to Troy and smiled mouthing a 'thank-you' to him. He smiled in return and as the singing stopped he looked into Gabriella's eyes knowing she would be even more excited about what came next.

"Alright, alright," Jon said as they finished up, "back to the set. This next song is dedicated to a certain Gabriella from a Mr. Troy Bolton. This is 'Only Hope'."

Gabriella shrieked and hugged Troy as the intro to the song began. As they separated from their hug, Troy grabbed Gabriella's hand once again and intertwined their fingers. Once the song had finished, Jon grinned and looked at Gabriella and Troy once more.

"You know, there are many cool things about being in a band, but one of the best things has to be meeting up with fans and learning more about your lives. Today, we hung out with this couple right here and we enjoyed every bit of it. After hanging out with these two, one can't help but notice the connection there and the love they have for each other as best friends. This song goes out to Troy and Gabriella—have fun at homecoming guys." Jon smiled bigger then looked towards the rest of the crowd. "Oh, this goes out to all the other couples too."

Everyone cheered, and Gabriella turned her head to the left and looked shocked as she looked into Troy's eyes. Troy just shrugged and stepped behind Gabriella wrapping his arms around her waist. He then leaned down and whispered in her ear, "Hey, I have no clue."

Gabriella smiled and shivered slightly due to Troy's actions. She then placed her hands on top of Troy's and interlaced their fingers as the song began.

_Head over here and take me_

_Head over heels and aching_

_When I told you I was yours_

_I was yours_

_In this life, you're the one place I call home_

_In this life, you're the feeling I belong_

_In this life, you're the flower and the thorn_

_You're everything that's fair in love and war_

_I'm coming down like a gunshot_

_In all these battles that I've fought_

_You're the mark I'm aiming for_

_I was yours_

_In this life, you're the one place I call home_

_In this life, you're the feeling I belong_

_In this life, you're the flower and the thorn_

_You're everything that's fair in love and war_

_Head over heels_

_I'm head over heels_

_In this life, I'm stubborn to the core_

_In this life, I've been burning after more_

_We both know what these open arms are for_

_You're everything that's fair_

Troy and Gabriella had both been singing along throughout the song with their arms still wrapped around each other. As they made eye contact, they both blushed and turned away focusing again on the band.

_In this life, you're my only one_

_In this life, you're my only one_

_In this life, you're my only one_

_In this life, you're my only one_

_In this life, you're the one place I call home_

_In this life, you're the feeling I belong_

_In this life, you're the flower and the thorn_

_You're everything that's fair in love and war_

Once the song had finished, Troy had a huge smile erupt on his face before he leaned down and kissed Gabriella on the cheek. 'Wow, she is gorgeous', he thought as he stared into her eyes. They both blushed and then turned their attention back to the stage to watch the rest of the concert.

When the concert had ended, one of the stage guys came up to Troy and Gabriella and handed them two signed drumsticks and setlists from the band along with a handful of guitar picks that said "Switchfoot" and bass picks that said "Tim Foreman" on them. They both were shocked and grinned as they walked out of the venue hand in hand.

"So, where are we going now?" Gabriella asked as they exited the venue. She began to shiver slightly as they walked outside. Troy took off his jacket and wrapped it around Gabriella.

"Well, since we already met the guys, I was thinking we could go check out some of the rides we missed earlier. It's only 10:00 and the park is open till 12:00. You up for that?" Troy asked knowing her answer already.

"Heck yeah! Let's go," she said excitedly as they took off back into the park. They quickly went around to the Haunted Mansion, Thunder Mountain Railroad, Peter Pan, and the Matterhorn before they began to walk towards the center of the park.

"We headed home?" Gabriella asked.

"We could…or we could stay and watch the fireworks show that starts in ten minutes," Troy said grinning, knowing that she absolutely loved fireworks.

Gabriella smiled and grabbed his hand running towards the lake where the show would take place. They stopped and looked at the crowd forming before Troy began pulling her away from the lake.

"Change your mind?" she asked him, disappointment obvious in her tone.

"Heck no! I just know a better place to watch it."

Troy then led them over to a bench near a restaurant that was a few hundred feet away from the lake. There were trees all around them with lights glowing in them. Troy sat on the bench and gently pulled Gabriella down to sit with him. Gabriella tucked her knees underneath her to the side and then leaned on Troy's shoulder as he put his arm around her. The two sat there talking about the day's events and their favorite parts of the concert.

Troy sat there thinking about how much he wanted his relationship with Gabriella to be more than friends. At this point they were closer than before, being more affectionate towards each other, and obviously they were going on a date to homecoming. Yet Troy wanted them to be an official couple. He wanted them to share their first kiss and many more after that. He just wasn't sure how Gabriella felt about him.

'Just do it Bolton', Troy thought to himself. 'Ask her out already and kiss her. What are you waiting for? Well I can't kiss her now. I kiss her and then the fireworks go off literally…way too cheesy. Or I could just forget about the cheesiness and do it already…'

"Gabi?" He finally had mustered up the confidence. 'Here goes nothing', Troy thought.

"Yeah Troy?" Gabriella slightly turned her head to look at him instead of the sky.

"Would you…um…" Troy paused while thinking to himself 'phrase it right you idiot'. Just then a firework went off and Gabriella turned to face the sky once again. Troy looked at her and saw her face light up once again.

"What were you gonna ask me Troy?" Gabriella asked still looking at the sky.

"Um, don't worry about it. We'll talk later," Troy said as he pulled Gabriella closer into his side.

Gabriella watched the fireworks light up the sky, but all she could think about was Troy's question. There was this look in his eyes. One she had never seen before. She could have sworn it looked like love. 'Nah…who am I fooling. First off, I've never had anyone like me in that way, to my knowledge. Second, there is no possible way that my best friend, the guy I've had a crush on for forever, and most importantly the hottest and most popular guy in school would ever ask me out,' Gabriella thought to herself. She shook off that thinking and decided to just enjoy the recent closeness she and Troy had developed.

The show ended, and Troy gently took his arm from around Gabriella and stood up right in front of her.

"Bolton, what are you doing? I'd prefer not to have your butt in my face," Gabriella said slightly amused.

"Montez just get on," Troy said equally amused as he bent down lower so she could jump on his back.

"I can walk Troy. I play sports too, and I have just as much endurance as you and you know it. In fact…maybe I have more. I mean just cause you always beat me in basketball doesn't mean I can't beat you at other things," Gabriella taunted almost laughing due to the expression on Troy's face that looked shocked that she would say such a thing.

"Alright, Montez. Get on or you're walking back home…and trust me, it's a long way back," Troy said smiling knowing he had won.

"Fine, fine, fine."

And with that, Gabriella hopped onto Troy's back putting her arms around his neck as he put his hands underneath her legs supporting her. He then started to walk towards the exit.

When they got into the car, Troy looked over at Gabriella to see she had already fallen asleep. He pulled out his phone and called Mrs. Montez letting her know they were on their way back. Once they got back home, Troy picked Gabriella up bridal style and walked her towards the front door where Mrs. Montez was waiting.

"Thanks Troy," she said. "How long has she been out?"

"Since we got into the car outside the park," Troy said laughing quietly.

"Well, I told your parents you would be back after midnight, so they said you can stay here. I put some blankets and a pillow in Gabi's room for you. Goodnight, I'll see you both in the morning."

Troy nodded and began to make his way upstairs to Gabriella's room. When he went to place her down on the bed, she stirred slightly and began to open her eyes.

"We just get back?" she asked tiredly.

"Yeah, and I'm staying here tonight."

"Alright, well I'm going to shower first cause I have my sweat and hundreds of other peoples sweat all over me from that concert," Gabriella said laughing. "You want to take a shower?"

"With you?" Troy asked smiling knowing she definitely didn't mean that.

She blushed before smacking him on the arm. "No you pervert. By yourself." Troy nodded. "Okay, well you can shower downstairs if you want."

"Sounds good. I'll see you in a little bit."

After his shower, Troy walked back upstairs and saw Gabriella already lying in bed. The two had slept in the same bed countless times before when on vacation with their families. When they got older, the two agreed along with their parents that one would sleep on top of the covers, while the other underneath. 'Forget that rule,' Troy thought as he pulled back the blankets and climbed in next to Gabriella. Thinking she was already asleep, he put his arm around her waist as her back was to his front. Gabriella smiled, still awake, and put her hand on top of Troy's, and moments later he interlaced their fingers.

"Goodnight Troy. Thanks again for everything today. Seriously…best day ever."

Troy smiled and snuggled closer to her. He leaned up and whispered in her ear, "You're welcome Gabi. Goodnight." And with that he kissed above her ear and laid his head back down.

* * *

**AN:** **I hope you enjoyed it. The guys in the band are really that nice, and do stuff like that. Anyways, thanks for reading and I appreciate your reviews. **


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Thanks everyone for the reviews. The song used in this chapter is "I'll Be" by Edwin McCain. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. **

* * *

**Chapter 4 **

Gabriella awoke the next morning to the feeling of someone running their fingers through her hair. She turned her head slightly to see Troy looking down on her while lovingly stroking her hair. Thoughts were running through both of their heads wondering what this new closeness that was developing between them actually meant.

"Morning Montez."

"Hey," she said tiredly while smiling. "How long have you been awake?" She turned around to face Troy as they both leaned up on one elbow gazing at each other.

"Long enough to hear you say 'Troy Bolton is the hottest guy ever' in your sleep. Dreaming about me Montez?" Troy asked with laughter evident in his eyes.

'Crap, I hate my life', she thought as she seriously considered the possibility of her talking about him in her sleep.

Seeing her worried look, Troy couldn't control his laughter any more. Gabriella looked at him with mock anger knowing he was lying and began smacking him on his arm multiple times.

"Okay, okay…ow…you almost hit my face Montez. Watch it. You wouldn't want to destroy the appearance of the, and I quote, 'hottest guy ever', now would you?"

Gabriella hit him a few more times on the arms and chest and then smacked his head.

"Alright, alright already. I surrender." Troy said as the two laid back down, staring up at the ceiling.

"Okay Bolton…time to get up. It's Saturday which means breakfast out with our families. And, it's 9:00 which means we have about twenty minutes to get ready," Gabriella said as Troy groaned.

The two quickly got dressed and ran downstairs to meet up with everyone before heading into town for some breakfast.

* * *

One week later it was Friday night; the homecoming game was that night and the dance was on Saturday night. Both Troy and Gabriella were ecstatic. Troy a little more so than Gabriella because he had made a promise to himself that by Saturday night, Gabriella would know how he felt about her.

"Hey Captain!" Chad exclaimed as he approached Troy at his locker and gave him a high-five and fist pound. "You ready for the game tonight?"

"Yeah! Last time we played Hamilton we creamed them."

"Yeah, and you racked up 150 rushing yards and 70 receiving yards."

Troy was the running back for East High's football team. Second to basketball, football was his favorite sport. He first began playing freshman year, but he was a natural and quickly began to excel.

"How did you remember that when you can't even remember your home phone number?" Troy asked smirking.

"Ah, I didn't. My little brother set my alarm clock forward by thirty minutes as a joke. So I got to school before everyone else. I read about your stats in the school paper." Chad replied as Troy burst out laughing. "So anyways…you excited about the dance tomorrow night? Are you finally going to profess your love for Gabi? Need some assistance?"

"No I don't need help, and shut up would you? I'd prefer to tell Gabi myself instead of having the entire school tell her by lunchtime."

"Alright, alright. Anyways, let's go. Homeroom awaits."

That night at the game, Gabriella stopped by outside the boys' locker room right before the team took the field for warm-ups.

"Hey Bolton!" Gabriella called out as the team began to exit the locker room. Troy looked up and smiled brightly at her before rushing over and enveloping her in a hug.

'Dang, he looks amazing in his football uniform.' Gabriella thought trying to wipe the infatuated look off her face.

"Well, I just came by to wish you good luck as always. I better go grab a seat though. It's getting freakin' packed out there. People are pumped to see you guys cream Hamilton and to see you go for the new school record of rushing yards." Gabriella said as she patted him on his shoulder pads. "See you after the game!" Gabriella continued as she began to walk away.

"Wait Gabi! Hold up." Troy ran back into the locker room and emerged with his away jersey. "Wear my jersey for me?" Troy asked, his eyes filled with hope.

"Troy, I'll have a squad of cheerleaders and most of the rest of the female population at school after me if I wear this. Who knows…they may convince the people at the concession stands to poison my food, or they'll flatten my tires, or some crap like that. You sure?" Gabriella asked as they both started laughing. Troy nodded smiling as he put the jersey on over her head. "Fine. I'll wear it for you. But you better get the new rushing yards record tonight or my death will be in vain."

"I'll see you after the game Gabi. Pizza on me." Troy replied still laughing. They exchanged one last hug and fist pound before Troy ran outside to the field.

"Bolton takes the handoff. He breaks left, spins right, and he's tackled at Hamilton's 40 yard line. Well folks, that brings Bolton's total for tonight to 200 total yards, 120 of those are rushing yards." The announcer states as it nears eight minutes left in the 4th quarter with East High leading Hamilton 35-10. "For those keeping track, the school record and the conference record is 141 rushing yards, and 220 total yards."

'Come on Troy. You can definitely do this.' Gabriella thought as she watched the team come out of a time-out. Troy looked up at Gabriella for what seemed like the hundredth time that night. He smiled and winked at her before turning into the huddle.

"Smith hands it off to Bolton. He's at the 40, the 30, stiff arms the opponent, he's at the 20, the 10, the 5…touchdown East High!" The announcer shouted as Troy made an amazing run. "And Bolton has just set a new school and conference record with 163 rushing yards and 243 total yards." The crowd went crazy as Troy ran back to the sidelines. He smiled widely and looked again at Gabriella. This time he pointed at her as he beamed.

After the game, and after his shower, Troy emerged from the locker room and walked over to Gabriella who was sitting on the bleachers with Taylor and Sharpay. Gabriella looked up and saw Troy walking over. Her face erupted into a huge smile as she ran over towards Troy and jumped into his arms. He smiled and spun her around a few times before setting her down.

'Wow. She looks gorgeous in that jersey.'

"Amazing game Troy! 243 total yards! I never thought my best friend would set the school and conference records for total yards and rushing yards for a single game."

"Thanks! You hungry?"

"Starved."

"Me too. Let's get out of here. Hey girls, are you coming to Stadium Pizza with us?" Troy yelled over to Sharpay and Taylor as he wrapped his arm around Gabriella's shoulders.

"Yeah, we'll meet you there. We're just waiting for Zeke and Chad," Sharpay replied smiling.

The two walked towards Troy's car and headed over to the pizza place. The whole time Troy kept his arm around Gabriella's shoulders as they sat in a booth with the rest of the gang. Lots of other people from the school were also at Stadium Pizza including some cheerleaders. Whenever they would give Gabriella a dirty look (mainly because she was still wearing Troy's jersey), Troy would pull Gabriella closer to him.

* * *

The night of the homecoming dance had finally arrived. Gabriella had gotten her hair and make-up done by Sharpay earlier on, and now she was dressed in a long red, v-neck dress waiting for Troy to pick her up. The whole group had agreed to just go to the dance in couples instead of riding together in a group as they had done in the past. She heard the doorbell ring and got a huge smile on her face, but suddenly that smile was replaced with a nervous look.

'What if Troy doesn't like the way I look? What if he sees some other girl at the dance that he is actually attracted to and ditches me? I know I'm not good enough for him. Why do I have to feel this way about my best friend? What if h--?'

Gabriella's thoughts were interrupted as Anthony knocked on her bedroom door. "Hey little sis', Troy's waiting. Come on. You look great." Anthony smiled at her and she began to walk out of her room.

She could hear Troy talking downstairs with Michael, her parents, and his parents. As she got to the top of the stairs, Troy turned around and had a shocked look on his face. 'Wow. She looks absolutely beautiful. She is definitely the most beautiful girl I've ever seen.'

Gabriella wasn't sure how to react to Troy's shocked look, but she continued to walk down the stairs slightly smiling. Troy was wearing a black suit, with a black shirt and a red tie. He was holding a single white rose. As she reached the bottom of the steps, Troy finally shook the shocked look from his face and replaced it with a smile. He walked over to Gabriella slowly as a smile began to form on her face.

Troy reached out and enveloped her in a gentle hug and whispered in her ear, "You look beautiful." Then as he pulled away, he lightly kissed her cheek making them both blush resembling the red color of her dress and his tie. "You ready to go?"

"Yeah," she replied still in shock from Troy's words and actions.

"Not yet you two," Anna interrupted. "Lucille and I need some pictures first."

The two groaned but obediently walked over in front of the fireplace to take some pictures. Five minutes later, the two were completely fed up with the pictures.

"Mom," Troy began, "one more picture and I won't be able to see Gabi for the rest of the night 'cause that stupid flash will have permanently damaged my eyesight." Gabriella began to giggle as she nodded her head in agreement.

"Okay you two…have fun," Jack said as he grabbed Lucille and Anna by the arms and pulled them into the kitchen.

"Come on. Homecoming awaits," Troy said winking at Gabriella as he held out his arm for her to link hers through. They smiled at Michael, Anthony, Adam, Aaron, and Tyler and hugged them all before walking out to Troy's car.

Troy opened the passenger door for Gabriella and helped her into the car before running around and getting in himself. Once seated, he looked over to Gabriella grinning widely.

"What?" She asked nervously thinking she had something on her face.

"Nothing. I just couldn't be more excited. I have the best date in the world for homecoming," Troy told her blushing slightly once he realized what he said. Gabriella blushed as well. Troy smiled and grabbed her hand interlacing their fingers before putting the car in gear and driving towards the school. He couldn't tell her yet, but he had planned on telling her how he felt tonight by the lakes after the dance, and he was hoping that by the end of the night Gabriella would be his girlfriend.

The two arrived at the school minutes later and walked into the gym with their arms linked. Since neither of the two really liked to dance, they walked over to a table in the corner and sat down. Soon their friends joined them and they were all caught up in conversation about the game the previous night. After a little while, a slow song finally came on. Troy, hearing this, stood up from his seat and walked around to the other side of Gabriella.

"Want to dance?" Troy asked smiling widely as he held out his hand in front of Gabriella. She nodded grinning, and placed her small soft hand into his, as he turned and began to lead her to the center of the dance floor. Once they reached the center, Troy turned to Gabriella and placed his arms around her waist as she placed hers around his neck. They gently swayed to the music as they stared deeply into each others eyes.

_The strand in your eyes_

_That color them wonderful_

_Stop me and steal my breath_

_Emeralds from mountains _

_Thrust towards the sky_

_Never revealing their depth_

_Tell me that we belong together_

_Dress it up with the trappings of love_

_I'll be captivated_

_I'll hang from your lips_

_Instead of the gallows of heartache _

_That hang from above_

_I'll be your crying shoulder_

_I'll be love's suicide_

_And I'll be better when I'm older_

_I'll be the greatest fan of your life_

Troy pulled Gabriella closer to him and she buried her face into his chest as he rested his head on top of hers.

_And rain falls angry on the tin roof_

_As we lie awake in my bed_

_You're my survival_

_You're my living proof_

_My love is alive and not dead_

_Tell me that we belong together_

_Dress it up with the trappings of love_

_I'll be captivated_

_I'll hang from your lips_

_Instead of the gallows of heartache _

_That hang from above_

_I'll be your crying shoulder_

_I'll be love's suicide_

_And I'll be better when I'm older_

_I'll be the greatest fan of your life_

_And I've dropped out, I've burned up_

_I've fought my way back from the dead_

_I've tuned in, turned on, _

_Remembered the things that you said_

_I'll be your crying shoulder_

_I'll be love's suicide_

_And I'll be better when I'm older_

_I'll be the greatest fan of your life_

Gabriella smile grew even wider as she began to hear Troy sing along to the chorus softly. She pulled him tighter to her and closed her eyes relishing the moment.

_I'll be your crying shoulder_

_I'll be love's suicide_

_And I'll be better when I'm older_

_I'll be the greatest fan of your life_

As the song ended, they both pulled back and gazed into each others eyes. Gabriella released her arms from Troy's neck as he pulled his back from her waist.

'Just kiss her you idiot,' Troy thought to himself. He grinned and began to lean down. Just then he felt two arms wrap around him that didn't belong to Gabriella.

"Hey Troy!" Rachel said with way too much enthusiasm. "Want to dance?"

Troy turned to her to tell her no, but before he could say anything, she wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly squealing. Troy gently pushed her off looking for Gabriella, but saw she wasn't standing in front of him anymore. Instead, he saw her figure running out the gym doors.

"Dang it!" He yelled out angrily. He went to run after her, but Rachel stepped in front of him.

"Troy, don't worry about her. I know you're trying to be a nice guy, but this way you don't have to tell her that she's not your type. I mean she's not anyone's type really. I don't know why she would ever think that--,"

"Rachel, shut up! Gabriella is the most amazing girl ever. I am never going to feel that way about you. She's my type, you're not." And with that Troy stepped past Rachel, who had her jaw dropped, and ran out the gym doors to his car.

'Where would she go?' He had tried calling her cell phone but it was off, and no one was answering the house phone. 'Our spot!' he thought as he took off for the lakes. When he got there, he looked around for a half hour and couldn't find her. He tried the phones and still got no answer. 'Well, maybe she's at home but just not answering'. Troy hopped in his car and took off for her house.

After quickly pulling into his driveway, he ran over across the street to Gabriella's house as he heard someone playing basketball in the backyard. He walked around to the backyard and stopped behind a tree when he heard voices.

"Who am I kidding Anthony? I mean I actually thought that I had a chance with him—the freakin' most popular, hottest guy in school. Me, the geeky tomboy, thought she had a shot," Gabriella said as tears threatened to fall. She took another shot and it bounced off the rim. Anthony grabbed the rebound and passed it back to her.

"Gabi, I don't agree at all, especially the part about Troy being the hottest guy in school; I prefer to not discuss Troy's looks," Anthony said getting a small giggle out of Gabriella. "See you are an awesome girl Gabi. You have a great sense of humor, you're smart, amazingly talented at sports, kind, and beautiful. Troy, or any guy, would be stupid to not see that."

"You're just saying that 'cause you're my brother. It just hurts so much. It's like my heart has been ripped into shreds. And, I'm stupid to let myself fall for my best friend. I mean, he's got girls throwing themselves at him…like Rachel. I mean, I hate her; but Troy obviously doesn't. I just need to shake this and be happy for him, hopefully being able to still be his best friend." Gabriella took another shot, missing again.

"Gabi, you're not stupid for falling for him. And I'm not saying all of this just because I'm your brother. You are beautiful; don't listen to what mom and dad and stupid people like Rachel tell you." Anthony passed the ball back to Gabriella.

"Listen Anthony, I appreciate you trying to cheer me up. But, let's face it. You and my good friends can tell me I'm beautiful and that one day some guy will fall for me; but the more time passes that I don't have that, the more it begins to hold true. I mean seriously…what single guy out there would think that I am beautiful and want to be with me?"

"I do."

Gabriella dropped the basketball and slowly turned around facing the blue-eyed boy who stepped out from behind a tree, still clad in his suit, but looking exhausted.

Anthony bent down and picked up the basketball. "Told you," he whispered in Gabriella's ear before walking towards Troy. "Don't mess this up, man." Anthony said quietly to Troy as he smiled at him and walked inside.

Gabriella and Troy had been staring into each others eyes ever since he had stepped out from behind the tree. Both were glued to their spots, but once Anthony shut the door, Troy began to slowly approach Gabriella. Once he stood in front of her, he sighed and took her hands. 'She still looks gorgeous in just her basketball shorts and a t-shirt with a tear stricken face', he thought as he smiled gazing into her eyes. Troy rubbed his thumbs over the top of Gabriella's hands as he softly held them.

"Gabi, I never wanted you to get hurt tonight. I had a plan for tonight that totally got screwed up. I keep waiting for the perfect moment to tell you how I feel, and I'm stupid for that. I should have told you a long time ago." Troy let go of her hand and placed his right hand on Gabriella's face, lightly caressing her cheek.

He stared deeply into her eyes once again, taking a deep breath before continuing. "I love you. I've loved you for who knows how long. I first realized it Spring Dance last year on your balcony, and I'm an idiot for wasting so much time. I should have been telling you everyday that I love you."

Gabriella beamed. She couldn't believe that Troy loved her. She was thinking about how she just hoped for him to like her somewhat in that way, never thinking he could feel this deeply about her. Suddenly she realized it had been a couple of minutes since Troy finished, and she hadn't said anything. Looking into his eyes, she could see he was nervously anticipating her response.

"I love you too Troy," she said smiling even brighter. Troy's smile matched hers as he began to lean down. Gabriella leaned up as well and their lips met in a long awaited, sweet and gentle kiss. Once their lips met, they both felt sparks fly through them; it was unlike any feeling they had ever felt before. After a few seconds, they pulled back and grinned before Troy enveloped her in a hug and swung her around a few times.

He gently placed her back on the ground and brought her face up to his in a more passionate kiss. Gabriella wrapped her arms around his neck and began to thread her fingers through his hair, as Troy put his hands on her back rubbing up and down gently.

After a little while, they broke apart and rested their foreheads together.

"Gabi?"

"Yeah Troy?"

Troy began laughing. "I can't think of a way to say this without it sounding corny, but…would you like to go out with me, as in be my girlfriend?"

Gabriella's face filled with happiness as she nodded, "Yes!"

Troy laughed and picked her up once again spinning her around. He gently placed her down once again before grabbing her hand and interlacing their fingers. "Want to join me on a walk to our secret spot?"

"Definitely," she replied squeezing his hand gently.

The two set off walking towards the lakes both grinning, neither saying too much. As they neared their spot, Gabriella leaned her head on Troy's shoulder. He bent down and kissed the top of her head. He then motioned for Gabriella to sit down, as he sat down next to her. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders as she snuggled into him, and he interlaced their fingers with his other hand.

"So Troy?"

"Yeah?" He responded as he turned his head slightly to kiss her forehead.

"What was your plan tonight, before I screwed it up?"

Troy cleared his throat softly and rubbed her arm lightly up and down. "Well, it wasn't anything really romantic. I was just going to bring you here after the dance. Then, assuming I didn't have a heart attack from all the nervousness, I was going to ask you, in the least cheesy way I could think of, to be my girlfriend. But, it doesn't matter, because you said 'yes' earlier, and now we are together. And, to top it all off, we ended up here at the end of the night."

They looked at each other and smiled, as they both leaned in and shared another kiss. Once they pulled apart, Troy saw Gabriella shiver a little. Still being in his suit, he pulled his jacket off, and wrapped it around her shoulders.

"Thanks," she replied grinning.

"You want to go back? Is it getting too cold?"

"Nope," Gabriella said as she snuggled into his side once again, "we can go back after awhile. Right now, I just want to sit here and not have to worry about anything else."

"Sounds great."

"Troy?"

"Hmm?"

"Are we going to keep this a secret at school?"

"What are you talking about? Do you not want people to know?"

"Well, it's just according to everyone else, the two of us don't belong together. I just don't want you to deal with people making fun of you. I mean, they already say crap about me, but now you're gonna be drug into this mess too."

"Gabi, there is no way I'm going to let people say stuff about me or you to either of our faces. And, I am not going to listen to them anyways, because there is no one else I want to be with other than you. So, we are going to walk into school Monday together. And we are going to show that we are a couple and no one is going to break us apart. Alright?"

"Thanks Troy." She replied smiling as she turned her head, and leaned up and kissed his cheek.

"Anytime Gabi. So, question for you. Do you want to tell our parents tonight, tomorrow, or should we see how long it takes them to find out?" Troy asked amused at the situation.

Gabriella began to laugh thinking of her parents' possible reaction. "They aren't going to believe it. They thought I'd be single 'till I was forty, unless I 'girlified it up'."

Troy began to laugh uncontrollably. He finally calmed down enough to respond, "girlified? Nice word Montez, Miss English genius."

"Shut up, Bolton," she replied smirking.

"Well, they were wrong," Troy said smiling. "You have snagged the, and I quote you, 'hottest guy at East High'."

"Get over yourself, Bolton," Gabriella responded as she lightly punched him on the arm.

"So, back to my question…how are we going to break this wonderful news to our families?"

"Well, I'm guessing Anthony pretty much already knows. But I doubt he would say anything to anyone before talking to us. I don't know…teasing them a little could be fun. I mean, we have that family barbeque tomorrow afternoon, so that would be a perfect time to mess with them."

"Awesome. I'm in. I can't wait to see the expressions on everyone's faces but especially Adam, Aaron, and Tyler. Oh, and Chris and Kyle will be there too. All of those guys said I would never have the courage to ask you out, and they all said you would refuse 'my ugly face'." Troy said the last part using air quotes. He turned to look at Gabriella and feigned hurt as she began to laugh loudly.

"Sorry Troy. I am just picturing your face after your family shattered your ego."

"Very funny Gabi."

"Thanks," she said slightly laughing. "Oh, and for the record…your face is far from ugly," she continued as she began to blush.

Troy smiled and kissed her cheek. "Same for you Gabi. Come on," he said as he stood up holding out his hand for her to take, "let's go home."

A few minutes later, the two were back at Gabriella's house walking upstairs to her room. Once inside her room, Gabriella shut the door quietly and walked over to Troy who was standing on her balcony leaning on the railing. She put her arms around him from behind and leaned her head on his shoulder. Troy smiled and put his arm back, pulling her around to his side as he kissed the top of her head lightly.

"So, now that we are official and all," Troy began whispering so as to not wake up the Montez family, "would you go out with me tomorrow night?"

"Of course, but where are we going?"

"That's a secret Gabi. But I will give you a hint. Don't eat, because we will be doing that at some point. And, wear shorts and a t-shirt."

"Deal," Gabriella replied as she gripped onto him tighter, and began to yawn.

"What time?" She asked still yawning.

"Uh, how bout we leave around 4:00. Sound good?"

"Wonderful."

"Alright, I better get going so you can get some sleep. See you in the morning?" Troy asked, tilting his head to look at her.

"Definitely," she replied hugging him tightly.

They pulled apart, and Troy leaned down to capture her lips in one final kiss before climbing down her balcony and heading across the street.


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: Thanks for all the reviews. I hope you enjoy this chapter. And, if you haven't yet, check out my new story co-written with lsr188 called 'Disguised Affection'. It's on her page. Thanks!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. **

* * *

**Chapter 5**

It was now Sunday, and Troy and Gabriella couldn't be more excited for the day's events. Both loved the Sunday barbeques their families always shared, and both were really anticipating their first date as a couple that night.

Troy was sitting in the living room waiting for his parents and brothers to get ready so they could walk over to the Montez house. Troy saw Gabriella and her family pull into their driveway and walk inside. Without any hesitation, he grabbed his swimsuit and towel as he rushed out the door to go see Gabriella.

As he neared the Montez home, Troy heard her voice in the backyard. As he watched from a distance, he saw her holding Emilee in her arms talking to her and singing her to sleep. He smiled and began to walk towards her.

"Hey Gabi!" Troy walked up to Gabriella who was grinning at him and put his arm around her shoulders looking down at Emilee. "Hi Emilee! One day your sister and I are going to teach you to say 'Lakers' and 'Switchfoot' as a few of your first words."

Gabriella lightly jabbed him with her elbow as he began to laugh. "Come on, Gabi. Don't lie. You know you want her to be a Lakers and Switchfoot fan."

"Okay, you're right, I do. But don't say it too loud or my mom will accuse us of brainwashing her child." Troy smiled and nodded as he lightly grabbed Gabriella's arm and led her over to a bench in the shade. The two sat down as Troy put his arm around Gabriella, and she put Emilee in between the two.

Anna and Lucille walked out into the backyard carrying food to place on the tables.

"So, Lucille, would you be able to look after Emilee on Tuesday morning for a few hours?" Anna asked as they stepped through the sliding door into the backyard.

Lucille stopped walking and a grin began to form as she looked over at Troy and Gabriella, who were staring down at Emilee as they talked to her.

"Lucille?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry. I was just looking at Troy and Gabi; the two of them are so cute together."

"Yes. Gabi is such a pretty girl. I just wish she would act like one more often; she just seems like she isn't interested in boys at all."

Lucille's grin faded into a confused look. "Well Anna, from one best friend to another, I don't think she needs to change at all. It seems Troy is interested in Gabi, and she in him; otherwise they wouldn't be so close. I just wish Troy would see how beautiful she really is and get the courage to ask her out."

Lucille smiled once more as she saw Troy look into Gabriella's eyes and smile before kissing her cheek, and returning his attention to the baby.

"Troy! Gabi! Lunch is ready." Lucille called out before walking inside to get the rest of the guys, who were watching a football game on TV.

Kyle, one of Troy's cousins, walked over to him along with Aaron, Adam, and Anthony.

"Hey Troy, Gabi," they greeted as they walked up.

"Hey guys!" Gabriella said smiling. "Troy, I am going to go take Emilee to my mom so she can put her down for a nap; I'll be right back. Save me a seat." She smiled at Troy as he nodded his head and winked at her.

"So Troy," Kyle began, "are you still too chicken to ask Gabi out?"

The guys began to laugh as Troy smirked knowing that this was headed in the exact direction he wanted it to.

"Nah, Kyle. He probably knows she would never date a guy with an ugly mug like his," Aaron said laughing, prompting Adam and Kyle to give him a high five. Anthony just stood there shaking his head. He never joined in on teasing Troy about Gabriella, and he knew that they were together because of the night before.

"Ha ha, very funny guys. Hey, where are your girlfriends? Oh, that's right…you don't have any. You hardly ever even hang out with girls. Maybe you're the ones who lack the skills to get one," Troy said playing along with them in their friendly banter.

"Boys! Lunch!" Lucille said as Troy smirked at them and walked over to two empty chairs, saving one for Gabriella. He grabbed a plate for her and filled it up with some food, and he grabbed a drink for her before grabbing his own food and drink, and sitting down.

Gabriella came and sat beside Troy a few moments later.

"Thanks Troy! I could have gotten my own food, you know."

"You're welcome," he said smiling before taking a bite of his cheeseburger. He set down his food and grabbed Gabriella's right hand under the table with his left hand, and interlaced their fingers before he began to eat again. Gabriella looked at him and smiled as she rubbed her thumb lightly on the top of his hand.

"So Troy, Gabi, how was homecoming?" Jack asked as he smiled at the two.

"That's right…I forgot Troy _actually_ got a date this year. Gabi, the bribe can never be good enough to go somewhere with this guy," Adam remarked as he patted Troy on his shoulder while he began to laugh.

"Adam, pipe down and leave your brother alone," Lucille scolded.

"It's alright Mom; I know he's just messing around." Troy stepped in, receiving a grateful look from Adam.

"Anyways…how'd it go?" Carlos asked repeating Jack's question.

"It was fun," Gabi replied, unsure of how much detail to go into at the moment. "The food and music were great, and all our friends were there."

"Did Troy finally fulfill your wish and ask you to dance?" Michael asked smiling at Gabriella. "Ow!" he said suddenly as Gabriella lightly kicked him under the table. She looked at him with a smirk on her face as Troy began to lightly laugh and squeeze her hand under the table.

"Did you two dance?" Lucille asked smiling.

Gabriella and Troy began to blush as they nodded their heads slightly.

All of the boys, except Anthony, began to laugh.

"Troy? Dance?" Chris said.

"He can't dance," Tyler replied laughing.

"Yeah, I bet Gabi has all kinds of bruises on her feet," Aaron said smirking.

Lucille got up from her seat with an annoyed look on her face as she walked around the table slapping all of the boys, except Anthony, on their heads. The boys all groaned.

"Leave these two alone," she said as she walked up behind Gabriella and Troy, and placed her arms around their shoulders hugging them. The two smiled and released their hands as they returned the hug.

"Well, as fun as this is…," Troy began as he looked around the table, "Gabi, wanna go swim for a bit?"

"Yeah, let's go!"

The two stood up and took their plates inside. As Gabriella was rinsing off their plates at the sink, Troy walked up behind her and placed his arms around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder. She turned her head and smiled and gave him a quick kiss before returning her attention to the dishes. She finished rinsing off the dishes, and grabbed a towel to dry off her hands.

"Ready?" she asked as she turned around to fully face him, with his arms still wrapped around her waist. Troy looked over his shoulder, where he could see their families sitting at the table outside.

"Not yet," he replied grinning widely as he grabbed her hand and took off upstairs. He pushed open her bedroom door and pulled her through before shutting the door quietly once again.

Troy turned from the door and stopped momentarily as he gazed into Gabriella's deep brown eyes. She smiled, and he returned it, before walking up to her and grabbing her gently on the waist.

Troy leaned down and captured her lips in a very passionate kiss. Once air became a necessity, the two broke apart and Troy placed his forehead gently against hers. He lightly brushed his nose up against hers a few times, smiling as she gently bit her bottom lip. He kissed her quickly once more.

"Okay, now I'm ready." He said grinning before grabbing her hand, interlacing their fingers and leading her downstairs. They separated their hands and walked back outside. Troy began to walk towards the pool a little ahead of Gabriella. She smiled before running and jumping on his back.

"Ooff," Troy said as he grabbed Gabriella's legs. "Nice jump. You got hops my friend. Have you ever thought about playing basketball?" Troy asked cheekily.

"Basketball? I love to play. In fact, I know this guy…he's been my best friend since diapers…well, he thinks he's the best, but he always gets beat by me," Gabriella returned lightly laughing.

"Is that so?" Troy asked grinning evilly as he began to walk towards the shallow end of the pool.

"Don't Troy!" Gabriella yelled as she tried to wiggle free. Troy just laughed as he stepped onto the first step. Gabriella grabbed onto his neck more tightly and squealed as Troy continued to walk down the steps. When they reached the bottom, Gabriella was still holding onto him tightly. She had successfully climbed up his back so that only her legs up to her knees were immersed in the water. Troy turned and looked at Gabriella with an amused yet evil look. He smiled and began to walk deeper as Gabriella continued to attempt to climb higher onto his shoulders.

"Troy Bolton, don't you dare drop me!"

Troy turned his head and smirked. "Wouldn't dream of it Montez", he stated before grabbing more tightly onto Gabriella's legs and ducking underneath the water, effectively pulling Gabriella underneath with him.

As they resurfaced, Troy began laughing as Gabriella wiggled free of his grasp. "You freakin' jerk!" She said trying to look angry, but Troy could tell she was about to bust up laughing. She smirked at him and turned around to swim towards the steps.

She sat down, and Troy began to make his way over to her. Just as she sat down, the boys all ran towards the pool and did cannonballs at the same time. They all came up laughing, as Troy and Gabriella shook the water from their hair. Troy sat down and pulled Gabriella to sit closer as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

"Hey Gabi, I have a serious question for you," Aaron began as he swam towards the two.

"What's up?" She replied.

"Did Troy here try to kiss you the other night? Cause me and Anthony have a little wager going on. He claims that it's highly likely that the two of you did, while I highly doubt that cause Troy is too scared to kiss a girl." Aaron smirked at Troy and playfully pushed his shoulder.

"Gabi, no need to answer that," Troy said as he stood up. "So all of you think I'm too chicken to kiss her, huh? Too chicken to ask her out? Well-"

Troy didn't say anything else. He grabbed Gabriella's hand and gently pulled her up towards him. He placed his other arm around her back pulling her more towards him as he placed her arm behind his neck. At the same time, he leaned in and pressed his lips to hers in a passionate kiss. The two pulled apart and rested their foreheads together as they brought their hands together and interlaced their fingers. They both turned their heads slightly and smiled at the extremely confused looks on all of the guys faces. The parents had seen Troy and Gabriella kiss as well, and they all were standing by the pool with their mouths slightly open.

No one had said anything for a few minutes, and Troy and Gabriella were loving every minute of it. Finally, Lucille spoke up. "Troy! Gabi! This is amazing!! How long?" She asked as she smiled and clapped her hands.

"Since last night, we've been official,l" Gabi responded.

"But we had feelings for each other way before that," Troy added in smiling before he lightly kissing her forehead.

"Come here!" Lucille exclaimed excitedly as Troy and Gabriella began to walk up the steps out of the pool hand in hand. Lucille gave them both huge hugs. She finally let them go and went to stand by her husband. Troy saw that Gabriella was shivering. He grabbed a towel and placed it around her shoulders before he wrapped his arms around the upper part of her shoulders as she placed her hands onto his arms and leaned back against his chest.

"So you two are dating…?" Mr. Montez asked skeptically as he eyed the pair.

"Yes Daddy, we are," Gabriella replied smiling up at Troy.

"Well, I can't believe it," Carlos and Anna Montez said somewhat under their breath at the same time.

"Congratulations son!" Jack said as he patted Troy on the back and smiled at Gabriella.

"Let's go watch the rest of the game." Jack said to Carlos as he turned and headed inside.

Carlos followed shaking his head.

Anna's blank expression that had been occupying her face for a few minutes was suddenly gone as a smile began to form on her face. "Wow, you two! I never thought…I mean, I hoped…but I never thought you two would get together."

Gabriella had a shocked look on her face. Troy leaned his head forward to look at her face as she tilted her head back to look into his eyes. He kissed the side of her head as if to reassure her that everything was okay. Gabriella couldn't help but smile in that moment.

"Thanks mom…I think," she said with a slightly confused look on her face.

"Lucille, do you remember the days we used to sit and watch these two when they were babies, and how we would just go on and on about how they should get together one day? I just can't believe it's true." Anna smiled and walked up to the two, hugging them. Lucille followed and gave them a brief hug.

"Well, Anna I say we get inside and clean this stuff up while we try to get Jack and Carlos to help us instead of watch their game," Lucille said before turning towards the sliding door that led to the kitchen.

"You up for a quick game before we get ready for our date?" Troy asked.

"Heck yeah!" Gabriella said excitedly.

"Sweet. Hey guys," Troy yelled over to Aaron, Adam, Anthony, and Kyle, "you up for a game of 3-on-3 for a little bit?"

"Yeah!" the guys all said as they began to get out of the pool. The six of them got dressed and walked over to the basketball court.

"Okay, what are the teams?" Kyle asked as he passed the ball to Troy.

"How 'bout Aaron, Gabi, and I against you three?" Troy suggested.

"Works for me," Adam said as Kyle and Anthony agreed.

"Wait, hold up," Aaron began, "I'm stuck with the two lovebirds? No offense you two."

Troy and Gabriella laughed at Aaron's comment and the two began to shoot around while the others were still talking.

"Yeah man, you're with them. Have fun, and don't you become twitterpated because of those two. I hear it can be contagious," Adam said laughing.

Troy and Gabriella both blushed before Gabriella grabbed the ball from Troy. "Let's do this."

The six played a couple of games of 3-on-3 to 10 points before finally stopping, with Troy, Gabriella and Aaron winning both times.

"Alright guys, Gabi and I have to take off," Troy said as he wrapped his arm around her waist.

"Where to?" Kyle asked.

"Um, well we have a date," Troy said nervously. He knew his brothers were going to try to embarrass him somewhat.

"Ah, first official date as a couple, huh?" Adam asked smiling at the two. "You two need some chaperones? Cause the four of us are free."

"Haha, nope…we're good. Thanks for the game guys. See you tonight!" Troy said as he gently pulled Gabriella away towards the house.

"So, I'll pick you up in thirty minutes, okay?" Troy asked as he wrapped both arms around her waist.

"Sounds awesome. I can't wait." Gabriella replied wrapping her arms around his neck.

Troy grinned while leaning down, and placed a soft kiss on her lips. He pulled back and they both smiled widely, and Troy leaned down once more to kiss her softly.

"See you in a little bit," he said as he went inside saying good-bye to everyone before rushing over to his house. After taking a quick shower, he put on some khaki shorts and a black t-shirt, and hopped in his car. He drove across the street and walked up to the door. He knocked, and Mr. Montez opened the door.

"Troy, you could just walk in you know?" Carlos said as he grinned, amused at Troy's actions.

"Yes sir, I could. But, I want this to seem like a real date…not a friends thing."

"Alright then." Mr. Montez smiled and turned his head around as he yelled upstairs, "Gabi, your date is here!" Carlos patted Troy on the back and welcomed him inside while he shut the door.

Gabriella came downstairs wearing a pair of jean shorts and a red t-shirt with a black hooded, zip-up sweatshirt. Troy met her at the bottom of the stairs, and grabbed her hand, interlacing their fingers.

"You ready?"

"Yep," she responded nervously biting the inside of her bottom lip.

Troy smiled. 'She's so adorable when she does that'. He leaned down and kissed her lightly on the lips, before whispering in her ear, "You look gorgeous."

"Thanks, you too." Troy laughed before pulling her towards the door.

"Bye everyone!" Troy said as he opened the door.

"We'll be back by 9:00, Mom and Dad." Gabriella added before shutting the door.

Troy led Gabriella to his car and opened her door for her. He then ran around and hopped into the driver's seat before starting the car, and holding her hand once more.

A few minutes later, they arrived at one of their favorite restaurants. It was a small, quiet Italian Food restaurant that they knew really well. Troy smiled at Gabriella and ran around the car opening her door and helping her out.

"You hungry Montez?"

"I'm always hungry for their food," she replied smiling as Troy interlaced their fingers once more.

"Troy! Gabi! It's been awhile since we've seen you two in here." The manager, Tony, said as he greeted them with a hug. He looked down at their hands and smiled. "I knew you two would get together one day. Troy here couldn't stop staring at a beautiful young woman like you, Gabi. Looks like he finally mustered up the courage to say something."

The two blushed as they smiled at one another. "Thanks Tony, I think," Troy said laughing as the other two joined in.

"Alright, let's get you two seated," Tony said as he grabbed two menus and led them to a booth in the back.

The two ordered some drinks and began talking about the upcoming games and basketball season. Troy reached across the table and softly placed his hand on top of Gabriella's.

"So, you going to finally get the single season scoring record for a game this year?" Troy asked.

"Hopefully. I was so freakin' close last year. 41 points. If only I wouldn't have missed that lay-up at the end of the first half, I would've had it."

"Yeah, well I have no doubts you'll get it this year. I mean, now you have more inspiration", Troy said as he winked at her.

"Haha, get over yourself Bolton. Just because you scored 48 points last year against Valley Vista, and got the guys' record, doesn't mean you have to be arrogant." She replied amused.

"Well, Miss Montez, I believe you missed out on what I was inferring to. While my skills are those to be envied," Gabriella laughed causing Troy to feign hurt before continuing as he interlaced their fingers, "I was talking about the fact that you now have an amazing boyfriend who will be cheering you on."

Gabriella blushed. "Well, I guess that too."

"Hey, I have an early birthday gift for you."

"Troy, you already got me enough…the concert was enough for a lifetime."

"Well, fine then. I guess you don't want to get this gift that you've been wanting for awhile."

"How do you know I've been wanting what you got me?" Gabriella said playing along.

"Trust me. Here, open it," Troy said as he slid an envelope across the table.

Troy was smiling as he watched Gabriella open her gift.

"Lakers' tickets!? No way!! I can't believe it. I've always wanted to go, but each time the chance comes up, I miss out. Troy, this is awesome. Thank you!"

"Did you see where we're sitting?"

"Section 111, Row B," Gabriella read off, not registering where those seats were.

Troy looked up at her expectantly, waiting for it to click.

"Wait…Section 111, Row B!?" She repeated excitedly.

"That's right. Next Saturday, you and I will be two rows behind the Lakers' bench watching Kobe, Fish, and Gasol freakin' thrash on the Kings."

"Wow, I can't believe it. How'd you swing these tickets? They're expensive."

"I won them in a radio contest," Troy said somewhat nervously, which Gabriella picked up on, knowing he was embarrassed about something.

"A radio contest, huh? What did you have to do to win?"

"Well, I had to be the seventh caller, and I had to sing the Space Jam song." Gabriella burst out laughing once Troy finished, as he joined her nervously. "Haha, yeah, well the things I do for you."

"So can I hear your wonderful rendition of this Space Jam song?"

"Never," Troy said grinning as before taking a bite of his food.

Minutes later they were finished eating. Troy paid the bill and they both said good-bye to Tony before walking back to Troy's car.

"So where to now, Celine?" Gabriella asked smirking.

"Ha ha, very funny. Call me Celine again, and I'll go find someone else to take to the game. And anyways, Celine has nothing to do with the Space Jam song. I'm insulted that you would refer to me as her." Troy said as he mocked being hurt.

"Whatever you say Bolton. You would know. Anyways, where to?"

"That's a secret Montez. But, we do have plenty of time before we get there. So choose your CD wisely."

Gabriella smiled and put in the newest Mutemath CD, and then relaxed back into the seat. Troy rested his hand on the center console. Gabriella placed her hand on top of his and intertwined their fingers. Troy brought their hands up to his mouth and gently kissed the back of Gabriella's hand before placing their hands back into the center.

Almost forty minutes later, Troy parked in a parking lot near Moonlight Beach in Encinitas, and ran around to Gabriella's side opening her door.

"The beach, huh?"

"Yep. Would you like to join me for a romantic walk down the beach, Miss Montez?"

"Of course, Mr. Bolton," she replied grinning. Troy put his arm around Gabriella as she snuggled into his side. He kissed the top of her head before they began to walk down towards the beach. Once they reached the sand, they both took off their shoes, and intertwined their hands as they began to walk down the beach.

The two walked about a quarter of a mile down the beach before they stopped and took a seat on the sand. Troy sat down with his back against a rock, and pulled Gabriella down to sit in between his legs as she leaned back and rested her back on his chest. Troy wrapped his right arm loosely around the front of her shoulders, as she grabbed his left hand and interlaced their fingers. Troy leaned forward and kissed her cheek lightly, before Gabriella relaxed more into Troy's chest.

Troy and Gabriella sat on the beach just watching people walk by and listening to the waves crashing on the shore. After a few minutes, Gabriella sighed contently.

"What's up?" Troy asked, slightly worried that something was wrong. "Everything okay?"

Gabriella turned her head slightly to look up at him. "Everything's perfect." She smiled before leaning up and gently kissing him.

"I still can't believe that I'm dating you," Troy said as he ran his fingers through her hair.

"Me? Hah, I still can't believe I'm dating you—the best looking guy in school…the one almost every girl wants. I mean, there is quite the long list of girls waiting to date you. Guys for me? Not so much."

Troy gripped her a little tighter and kissed the side of her head. "Good." He leaned down and whispered in her ear, "Less competition for me. Seriously Gabi, they're all jerks. You are definitely the most beautiful girl I've ever seen—inside and out."

Gabriella felt herself smile widely as she realized that no one has ever made her feel beautiful like Troy does. She turned her head slightly and kissed his chin. "Thanks."

"Hey Troy, thanks for the tickets once again. I still can't believe you got some."

"You're welcome. Hey, I had to make up for the last time we missed the game."

* * *

­­­­­­­­­­­_Troy was running around his room frantically, trying to find his keys. 'Dang it, Gabi's gonna kill me if we're late,' he thought as he threw some dirty laundry off his bed. 'Aha, found them.' _

_Troy rushed downstairs. "Bye Mom, bye Dad. Be back late. See you in the morning," Troy yelled as he ran out the door. As he walked across to Gabriella's place, his phone began to ring. _

"_Hey Gabi, you ready?" _

"_Troy," Gabriella said softly since she had a sore throat, "I can't make it tonight. I have a horrible cold that I can't shake. Go on though. The guys are waiting. Let me know how it goes, and you better bring me home a Kobe bobblehead." _

_It was winter break of their sophomore year, and Troy, Gabriella, Chad, Zeke, and Jason were all going to LA to see the Lakers play the Suns. They had bought tickets that were on the 2__nd__ level, but they were glad they were at least going to be there. _

"_Dang, Gabi. That sucks. You need anything?" Troy asked concerned. _

"_No way. I'm good. Have fun at the game. I'll be looking for you on TV; make sure you don't get pizza sauce all over your face or something like that." Gabriella heard a knock on her bedroom door and reluctantly got up as she began to head towards the door. _

_She opened the door to see Troy smiling, but the smile quickly turned to a look of concern. _

"_Sorry Gabi, you shouldn't have gotten up. I just didn't want to walk in on you changing or something. Here," Troy said as he put her arm over his shoulders and his around her waist, gently guiding her to her bed. He helped her lie down before bringing the blankets up and tucking her in. They both grinned at each other. _

_Gabriella saw Troy looking at his cell phone and she suddenly became remorseful. She wanted to go to the game desperately, as it would be a first for both of them. "Troy, you need to get going downstairs to meet up with the guys. Otherwise they are going to leave without you." _

"_I'm not going anywhere. I just told the guys to leave without us. They're going to pick up some guys from the team to take our tickets. I'm staying here with you."_

"_Troy, no. You should go. It's the Lakers! It'll be your first time seeing them." _

"_Nope. I'm staying here with my best friend. We're going to eat some ice cream, watch the game, and laugh at Chad when they pan to him and he has nacho cheese in his hair." Troy said as he began to laugh. _

_Gabriella smiled, "Thanks Troy." _

"_You're welcome. Okay, now what flavor of ice cream? And seeing as we have a couple of hours before the game starts, what movie do you want to watch?"_

"_Um, strawberry ice cream. And, you pick the movie." _

_Troy nodded and went downstairs only to return moments later with two bowls of ice cream, a couple of sodas, and Ocean's Eleven. Troy put the DVD in, and gave Gabriella a drink and a bowl of ice cream. The two sat on the bed close together leaning back against the pillows as they watched the movie and the game. After the game was over, and the Lakers had won, Troy turned the TV to Friends. The two laughed as they watched the episode. Troy suddenly felt something fall on his shoulder. He turned his head to see Gabriella asleep. _

_Troy leaned over and turned off the lamp before turning off the TV. He then slid down pulling Gabriella with him, and he laid her head on his chest. He wrapped his arms protectively around her waist, and then kissed the top of her head. _

"_Night Gabi."_

* * *

"I still can't believe you missed the game for me," Gabriella said, reminiscing of that night.

"Well, you were sick. I couldn't let the girl I cared most about in the world, who is also my best friend, sit alone at home while I was at the game. We would have both been miserable. Besides, now we get to go together, and we have much better seats."

"Wait, you liked me like that back then?"

Troy grinned. "Gabi, I've had a crush on you since we were kids. I just never had enough guts to say anything until now."

"Me too," she said as she snuggled deeper into Troy's chest.

Troy bent his head down and kissed her shoulder as the two snuggled closer together and watched the sunset. An hour later, the two got up and walked hand-in-hand back up the beach to head home.

"Thanks for the date Troy," Gabriella said as he walked her to her front door after he had walked with her across the street. "Best date ever…even though it was my first."

"Mine too," Troy said as he leaned in placing one hand on her waist as the other was in his pocket. Gabriella smiled into the kiss, and placed her arms around Troy's neck pulling him closer as Troy wrapped his other arm around her waist. When air was needed, the two separated and Troy placed his hand on Gabriella's cheek.

"I love you," Troy confessed once again while softly caressing her cheek.

"I love you too," Gabriella said smiling as she leaned up and kissed him softly once more.

"I'll see you in the morning. Goodnight," Troy whispered as he kissed her softly on the forehead before walking back over towards his house.


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: Thanks for all the reviews last chapter. I hope you all enjoy this one. I appreciate all your feedback. Also, please check out my story that I'm cowriting with lsr188 called Disguised Affection if you haven't already (it's on her page). **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. **

* * *

**Chapter 6**

Troy woke up the next morning to the sound of something buzzing over his head. As he swatted at it, he heard someone laugh. He cracked open one eye to see Tyler snickering in the corner of his room with a remote control in his hand. As Troy opened his other eye he found the source of the buzzing—Tyler's brand new remote control helicopter.

"Tyler, get out!"

Tyler continued to chuckle as he swooped the helicopter down over Troy's face causing Troy to flinch and pull the covers up.

"That's it!" Troy yelled as he got up quickly. "Leave now with the helicopter in one piece, or leave later with it in many pieces."

Tyler continued to laugh as he brought the helicopter back towards him and flew it down the hallway laughing the whole way, loving that he had successfully annoyed his older brother.

Troy shook his head and walked into the bathroom half-awake to take a shower. Ten minutes later he ran downstairs to join his family for breakfast.

"Hey son! Sleep well?" Jack asked as Troy took a seat.

"Yeah, just not enough." Troy said yawning. Lucille set a plate of bacon and eggs in front of Troy, along with a glass of orange juice. "Thanks Mom," Troy said after he took a bite of bacon.

"Did you get in late last night?" Jack asked as Troy still looked half-asleep.

"Not really. I just couldn't go to sleep."

"Thinking about Gabi?" Adam asked, butting into the conversation.

Troy shook his head in amusement, not answering his brother's question.

"So where did you two go?" Aaron asked joining in.

"To dinner, and to Encinitas," Troy answered trying to hide the grin that was erupting on his face.

"I can't believe it…my little brother…out on a date…charming the ladies," Adam stated as he ruffled Troy's hair prompting Troy to glare at him, before smoothing his hair.

"Not just any lady though, Adam. It's Gabi—our honorary little sister, and Troy's best friend. So Troy…talk to your big bros…what do you really think of Gabi?"

Troy's face began to flush, and he got up out of embarrassment and put his dirty dishes in the sink.

"You boys leave Troy alone. Stop teasing him. I think they are adorable," Lucille said as she put her hands on Troy's shoulders gently rubbing them.

"Thanks mom," Troy said unsure of whether or not that comment from his mom helped. He lightly kissed her cheek before grabbing his lunch and backpack.

"See you guys tonight!" Troy yelled as he ran out the door headed over to his girlfriend's house.

He jumped up the two steps in front of her house and eagerly knocked on the front door. He put his hands in his pockets and began rocking back and forth trying to hold in his excitement to see Gabriella. Moments later the door opened, and Gabriella stood there in jeans, a Switchfoot shirt, with her hair up, and his letterman's jacket.

"Hey," she said pulling Troy out of his thoughts.

"Hi," Troy finally managed to say as he smiled at her. "You look great, as always," he added. "Nice jacket."

Gabriella blushed as she began to take off the jacket and hand it over to Troy. "You forgot to grab it last night after you gave it to me at the beach."

Troy shook his head. "Forget it. It looks better on you anyways," Troy smiled as he put the jacket back around her shoulders.

"Thanks. But Troy, don't you think it's going to bring up some issues if I am wearing your jacket on the first day back at school since we started dating?"

"What? No. I don't care what everyone else says. This is about us. We're not dating any of them." Troy was speaking softly as he grabbed her hands and interlaced their fingers holding their hands up at a ninety-degree angle in between them. "Don't worry," he continued as he saw her biting her lip nervously, "I will be there with you the whole time; don't let them get to you okay?"

"Okay," Gabriella agreed as she smiled up at Troy.

"Anyways, good morning," Troy said as he dropped one of her hands and reached out and ran his fingers through her hair.

"Good morning," Gabriella whispered as Troy leaned in and gently kissed her.

"Ready to go?"

"Yeah, let me just say 'good-bye' to my family. Come on," Gabriella said as she turned towards the kitchen pulling Troy with her. The two entered the kitchen with their fingers interlaced.

"Hey guys, we're gonna take off," Gabriella said as they walked into the kitchen.

Anna, Carlos, Anthony, and Michael looked up from the table and smiled at the two. Emilee began to giggle softly as Michael was playing with her in the high chair.

Troy smiled and walked towards Emilee, and leaned down in front of her.

"Hey there cutie," Troy said as he let her wrap her hand around his finger. "Are you enjoying your breakfast?" Emilee began to laugh as Troy poked her gently in her side. "Alright, cutie, I have to go to boring school, but I'll come visit later," Troy added as he kissed the top of her head.

Gabriella smiled at Troy as he walked back towards her and put his arm around her waist.

"See you guys later," Gabriella said as the two turned to walk out the door.

Ten minutes later the two arrived at school.

"Ready for this?" Troy asked as he opened her door.

"Ready as I'll ever be."

"Great, let's go," Troy said as he grabbed her backpack putting it over his shoulder, and interlaced their fingers.

Troy and Gabriella had huge smiles on their faces as they walked into school, not paying attention to the strange looks some were giving them. Everyone at school knew Troy and Gabriella were best friends, but they never expected Troy to actually ask her out. Gabriella was deemed a tomboy, and most of the guys at school preferred to only talk to her as a friend, nothing more.

As Troy and Gabriella approached their lockers, they saw the gang waiting there as usual. Taylor was the first to notice the two walking up holding hands, and she nudged Sharpay who squealed loudly when she saw getting everyone else's attention.

"What's up guys?" Gabriella asked as Troy and her got closer.

"Oh wow! I can't believe it!" Sharpay began to screech as she jumped up and down. Zeke lightly put his hands on her shoulders in an attempt to calm her down.

"Geez blondie! I would like to be able to hear today if that's okay with you," Chad said covering his ears and scowling at Sharpay.

"Well, sorry. Can I help it if the cutest couple ever just walked up to us?" Sharpay asked excitedly. "When did this happen?"

"When did what happen?" Troy asked jokingly turning to slyly wink at Gabriella.

"Don't act dumb with me Troy Bolton," Sharpay scolded. "Since when are you two together?"

"Together for what?" Gabriella asked playing along, causing Troy to chuckle.

"Gabriella Anne Montez, you tell me right now what's going on, or I swear to you I--," Sharpay stopped clearly frustrated as the warning bell rang signaling for the students to get to homeroom.

"Here," Troy said grabbing Gabriella's bag from her after she had put her books in it from her locker. Gabriella smiled and kissed his cheek prompting the group to stare at them still curious as to what had gone on.

"Thanks. Let's go," Gabriella said before she grabbed his hand and the two led the way to homeroom.

After homeroom, Troy and Gabriella once again darted ahead of everyone else as Troy had his arm around Gabriella's shoulders. The rest of the gang caught up to them at the lockers, just in time to see Troy whispering something into Gabriella's ear making her blush as he was leaning against the lockers.

"Okay, you two. Spill. NOW!" Sharpay said through gritted teeth.

Troy smirked, enjoying how much they were annoying Sharpay. "Hey Gabi?"

"Yeah?" She asked smiling back at him.

Troy leaned in and captured her lips in front of everyone for a few seconds before pulling back.

"Nothing," Troy said grinning and looking out of the corner of his eye at the gang all looking at him and Gabriella with their mouths open. Troy gently nudged Gabriella and motioned with his head for her to look at their friends.

"Something wrong guys?" Gabriella asked innocently trying to hold in her laughter.

"Okay, you two. Explain. Since when? And don't say it's nothing, because you two can't keep your hands or lips off each other and Gabi is wearing your jacket, Troy," Sharpay pointed at Troy as she probed the two for answers. "Last time we saw you two was at Homecoming, and you both left quickly running out of the gym—both of you looking upset. So spill."

"Gabi, you want to fill them in?" Gabriella shook her head as she leaned against Troy's chest and he wrapped his arms around her. "Alrighty, then I will, I guess. We have been together since Saturday night."

"Not enough info, Troy," Taylor said chiming in, looking around seeing everyone still seemingly in shock that the two finally got together.

"Okay, fine. I chased after Gabi…found her at her house…we got together. That's all you're gonna get." Troy finished as the bell rang signaling for them to get to class.

"Whatever dude," Chad spoke up, "we'll talk to you more at lunch". The gang then took off for their classes, Troy and Gabriella heading towards Pre-Calculus with Taylor, Ryan, and Kelsi.

After a few more classes, it was 11:45 and the bell rang signaling that lunch time had arrived. Troy rushed out of his classroom towards his locker hoping to catch Gabriella there before she went to lunch. Coming around the corner, he saw her emptying her backpack of most of her books.

Troy snuck up quietly behind Gabriella, observing that she had her head buried in her backpack. Troy put his left hand beside her locker and quietly leaned over.

"Hey beautiful," Troy said as he grabbed her sides to tickle her.

Gabriella squealed lightly revealing the girliest of her mannerisms.

"You jerk!" She yelled before she turned to smack him on his head.

Troy just laughed and continued to tickle her.

"Troy! Ah..st..stop," Gabriella stuttered out trying to catch her breath.

Troy stopped and lightly pushed her back against the lockers.

"Okay, you win," Troy said smiling, his face beginning to turn serious. "Hi," Troy said prior to leaning down and pressing his lips against hers for a few moments before pulling away.

"Hungry?" she asked once they pulled apart.

"Of course. You ready for the million questions we're gonna get at lunch?"

"Not really. You get to talk to the guys who are just going to ask quickly what happened. I'm stuck with the girls who are going to want to know every single detail."

Troy began to laugh causing Gabriella to look at him in mock anger.

"It's not funny," Gabriella continued trying to get Troy to stop laughing.

"I'm sorry Gabi," Troy managed to respond after calming down somewhat. "Want to switch?"

"Haha, I wish. The girls would unfortunately not allow that. I have to deal with their nosiness eventually. Let's go."

Troy wrapped his arm around Gabriella's shoulder and she interlaced their fingers before they both headed towards the cafeteria. Once they walked in, everyone turned their heads and the room went completely silent. Gabriella nervously looked up at Troy.

"What!?" Troy yelled looking around the cafeteria. Everyone suddenly turned back around and continued eating as Troy shook his head and led the two of them over to their table.

"What's up East High's most adorable couple?" Sharpay said once the two sat down, having trouble concealing the enormous smile threatening to erupt on her face.

"Most adorable couple? From that little incident and all the gossip going around it's more like Most Controversial Couple," Jason said before Sharpay gave him an evil glare and smacked him on his head. "Ow! What the heck?"

"Hurts, huh?" Zeke asked laughing.

"Anyways, you two…time to finish up. Gabi, you're coming with us," Sharpay said as she grabbed her arm and stood up with Taylor, Kelsi, and Jessica, Ryan's girlfriend.

The girls began to walk outside. Chad scooted down the bench to sit next to Troy.

"So Captain," Chad began before putting his arm around Troy's shoulder, "tell us how you finally built up the courage to ask Gabi out. Took you long enough by the way."

"Yeah, seriously Troy. You've been crushing on her forever…I was thinking we would have to lock you two in a room before you stepped up," Zeke joined in.

"Thanks guys. I see you have a lot of faith in me," Troy said smirking.

"Alright guys, leave him alone so he can tell us before the girls get back," Ryan spoke up turning to Troy.

"Okay, so…Saturday night after the dance, I chased after Gabi. Rachel had ruined it and Gabi thought I wanted to be with Rachel. Anyways, I found her playin' ball outside her house. I listened to her talk about her feelings for me to Anthony. Finally I spoke up and Anthony took off. I told her how I felt, I kissed her, then I asked her out."

"Cool."

"Sweet."

"Awesome."

"Finally", Chad finished. "So, are you coming over next Saturday to watch the game?"

"Actually, I'm taking Gabi to the game. We have seats two rows behind the Lakers' bench." Troy said smiling before all of the guys' jaws dropped.

"Two rows back? No way!" Zeke said.

"Yeah, by the way, it's Gabi's birthday Friday. Speaking of which, are you guys down for a small surprise party with just the gang and our families?" Troy whispered.

"Yeah man. What time?" Jason asked.

"She's got a game at 5:00. We'll be back around 8:00." Troy said as all the guys nodded in agreement that they'd be there.

* * *

"So, Gabi…tell us. How does it feel to be dating the hottest guy at East High?" Sharpay asked once the four girls sat down.

"Hey, my boyfriend is hot," Taylor said, the other girls nodded concerning their own boyfriends.

"Yeah, sure…so is Zeke. But Troy is the most sought after guy at this school. We all know it too. So Gabs…spill. Don't leave out any details either," Sharpay urged.

"Um...alright. Everything was fine at the dance, until Rachel came up and interrupted our dance, wrapping her arms around Troy."

"That little-," Taylor began before Gabriella stopped her.

"Anyways…I took off and ran home. I went outside to play ball with Anthony. We started talking. I don't know how much Troy heard, but he was listening. He finally spoke up. I mean, I didn't know he was there…otherwise, I wouldn't have confessed that I fell for him. But, he heard. Anyways, he told me that he loved me, and he kissed me. Then he asked me out." Gabi finished and looked up at the four girls who were grinning from ear to ear.

"Gabi, have you ever talked about boys with other girls?" Sharpay asked as Gabriella looked confused.

"Um, not really."

"Gabi, we need more details!" Jessica chimed in trying to help her out.

"Yeah, like what exactly did he say? Did you guys go on a date yet? How was the kiss?"

"Yeah girl, spill," Taylor smiled and patted her knee.

"Uh, I'm not really good at these long talks. Can't you get the details from someone else?"

"Like who…Troy? He won't tell the guys any more than you've told us. We need more than that Gabi." Sharpay informed her.

"Okay, fine. I'll try. Let's see…he said something like he didn't mean for it to turn out how it did, and he was sorry. He said that he has been in love with me for awhile and he should have been telling me everyday."

"Awww!" All four girls cried out in unison as Gabriella raised her eyebrows in shock of their reactions.

"So, what did he say when he first came out from hiding?" Kelsi asked.

"Um…I had said something like no guy would ever think I was beautiful and want to be with me. And he said, 'I do'."

"Awww!"

Gabriella shook her head at them. "Anyways…we walked to the lakes afterwards. He gave me his jacket and we just sat there for awhile. The next day, he came over and we teased our families for awhile before we told them." Gabriella stopped momentarily but continued, seeing the looks on the girls' faces and knowing it meant she hadn't said enough. "Okay, Aaron came up to him said that Anthony had bet him the two of us had kissed Saturday night. Aaron said it was impossible. Troy grabbed me, and kissed me. It was funny to see all of their react-," Gabriella stopped as she looked up at all the girls who were grinning. Their smiles were scaring her somewhat.

"Gabi," Taylor snapped out of her daze, "tell us about the kiss. How was it?"

"I hadn't ever been kissed before…I don't know how to describe it really."

"Sweet"

"Gentle"

"Passionate"

"Long, short"

The girls began to throw out adjectives. Gabriella smiled remembering the many kisses the two had shared.

"Tongue!" Sharpay yelled out. "What?" she said as all the girls looked shocked, except for Gabriella who was red from embarrassment.

"So?" Jessica asked.

"It was incredible. All of the above," Gabriella flushed as Sharpay raised her eyebrows at her. "Now, let's go back cause I want to eat lunch."

"Gabi, don't think you're out of this yet. You're telling us more later." Sharpay reminded as the girls walked back inside.

Troy looked up and saw the girls coming back inside. He grinned at Gabriella noticing that she looked drained. As she walked up to him, he pulled her down on his lap and softly brushed his lips against hers. She smiled and leaned her head on his shoulder.

"So, how was it?" Troy asked her, poking her in her side, as he smirked.

"Awesome." Gabriella said sarcastically. "Girls talk way too much."

* * *

It was Friday night, and the East High Wildcats were winning the volleyball game against Chaparral 2-1. The match was at 24-20 in East High's favor. Gabriella stepped back to serve.

"YEAH GABI!!"

Gabriella looked towards the stands and laughed seeing Troy standing up screaming holding a sign that said "# 10 Montez is my hero". Troy winked at her, before she turned her attention back to the game.

As she served the ball, the other team attempted to spike it back in Gabriella's corner. She dove and bumped the ball to her teammate who set it up in the air for Gabriella to hit back. She quickly got up off the ground and jumped, spiking the ball to the back left corner just in bounds. The other team missed the ball, and the buzzer sounded signifying East High's win.

Troy jumped up out of his seat and rushed down to the court. Gabriella had her back to him as she was talking to her teammates. Troy wrapped his arms tightly around her waist from behind, picked her up and spun her around a couple of times before setting her down.

"Hey birthday girl. Great game," Troy said while he tucked a piece of hair behind her ear.

"Thanks," she said blushing. She leaned up and gently kissed his lips.

"Ready to go?"

"Yeah, just let me take a quick shower. Where are we going?"

"Wherever you want to eat. Your choice Montez."

Gabriella smiled and ran off to the locker room. Minutes later, she emerged in a pair of Dickies pants and a black thermal with her hair up in a ponytail.

"Where to?" Troy asked. He grabbed her bag from her, draping it over his left shoulder, and held out his hand.

"Red Robin?"

"Sweet! Let's go."

After eating their hamburgers and all-you-can-eat fries, seven of the waiters surrounded their table. Gabriella put her head down in embarrassment as they set a piece of cake in front of her and began to sing very loudly getting the attention of the entire restaurant. Troy laughed and gently rubbed her hand across the table.

Once they left, Troy moved out of his seat and slid next to Gabriella in the booth putting his arm around her.

"Aw, come on. You know you loved that. Now make a wish and blow out that candle so we can eat this scrumptious cake."

Gabriella shook her head and blew out the candle. She turned to Troy and kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks…I think," she said laughing.

"Are you just going to sit there, or are you going to eat that piece of mouth-watering cake?" Troy asked eyeing the cake.

"You want some of this?" Gabriella asked smirking.

"Heck yes!"

"Okay then," Gabriella began as she got an evil look in her eye. She put some frosting on her finger and turned to Troy quickly, wiping it all over his face, before bursting out in fits of laughter.

"Oh, it's on Montez!" Troy threatened before he grabbed a large portion of frosting wiping it all around her face. "Truce? Or you want more of this?"

"Fine with me Bolton. Truce," she said as the two began to clean off their faces.

"Hey, you missed some." Troy said.

"Where?"

"Right here," Troy exclaimed before wiping some more frosting on her cheek, laughing.

"You said truce!"

"Okay, okay…I'm sorry. Here, I'll get it." Troy smiled. He leaned over and put his lips on Gabriella's cheek, kissing her lightly and removing the frosting from her cheek.

After Troy paid the bill, the two left the restaurant and headed back towards home.

"You're coming in, right?" Gabriella asked while the two neared her front door.

"I guess I could spare a few more hours hanging out with you," Troy sighed with a hint of sarcasm. Gabriella socked him lightly in his shoulder before grabbing his hand and walking inside.

"Surprise!" Everyone yelled out. Gabriella looked around to see the gang, her family, and Troy's family, including his cousins all in the family room.

"No way!" Gabriella exclaimed in surprise. She turned to Troy, "Did you plan this?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Thank you." She leaned up and kissed him on the cheek making him blush. "Good job by the way…I had no idea."

A few hours later, Troy and Gabriella lay outside on a blanket in the backyard cuddled together as they looked up at the stars. They had just finished eating more cake and ice cream, and Gabriella had opened all her presents.

"I still can't believe we're going to see the Lakers next week." Gabriella yawned moving her head onto Troy's chest.

"I know. They have been my favorite team forever. Remember when we were kids and we used to pretend we were actually on the team when we played one-on-one?"

"Yeah, I remember. You used to get all hurt when I would choose to be Magic Johnson first. In fact, those were some of my best games against you—I almost beat you a few times as Magic."

"Haha. Montez, you up for a one-on-one game right now?"

"Let's go Bolton," Gabriella smirked up at him before standing up and offering him her hand for him to get up as well.

After Troy put his hand into Gabriella's, she began to lift him up before letting him drop back to the ground. Gabriella erupted in laughter before taking off for the basketball court. She grabbed the ball lying on the ground and began to take a shot, only for it to be blocked by Troy as he came running up from behind her.

Troy grabbed the ball after he slapped it to the ground and ran in for a lay-up.

"That's 1-0 Montez!" Troy said, smirking before he passed the ball to Gabriella.

"Cheater!" Gabriella accused, sticking out her tongue. "Check." She said after chucking the ball into his chest.

"Bring it." Troy smiled before he bounced it back to her. Gabriella took the ball. She faked right, and crossed over left, running towards the hoop. After Troy quickly recovered, she backed him down before spinning around, making an eight foot fade away.

Gabriella smirked as she grabbed the ball and passed it back to Troy. "1 up." She grinned.

Troy smiled and checked the ball. He started right, then put the ball behind his back and made a four foot jumper.

"Just like Kobe." Troy smirked as he gently passed the ball to her.

Gabriella shook her head, amused at Troy's comment. After she had checked the ball, she dribbled to her left, stepped back, and sunk a shot from behind the 3-point line.

"That's two Kobe," Gabriella smirked. "I think I just went ahead 3-2."

"Not for long Montez. Check." Troy commented before bouncing the ball between Gabriella's legs, running around her, picking it up, and scoring a lay-up. "Wow…I think it's tied again."

Gabriella got the ball, crossed over to the right, and tried a fifteen foot jump shot that rimmed in and out. Troy grabbed the rebound, took it back, and then pulled up at the free throw line scoring.

"That's 4-3. Game point!" Troy shouted.

Gabriella checked the ball and began to dribble, getting frustrated as Troy kept tightly defending her. Suddenly she got an idea. She started dribbling slowly, keeping her body between Troy and the basketball.

"Hey Troy," she said in a sweet, gentle voice.

"Yeah?" Troy responded still trying to poke the ball away.

Gabriella stopped dribbling and held the basketball in one hand against her hip, while she placed her other hand around his neck, pulling him down into a tantalizing kiss.

She slowly pulled away. "Nothing Bolton," she responded as she bounced the ball off his arm and ran in for a lay-up.

Troy snapped out of his daze in time to see the ball go through the net.

"That's cruel Montez. I can't believe you used that against me."

"Not my fault you got distracted," she teased innocently. "Oh, that's 4-4 by the way."

Troy checked the ball, and tried to cross over, but Gabriella poked it away.

"Game point Montez," Troy said as he defended her. "You scared?"

"Shut it, Bolton. I beat you once; I can do it again," she commented before she faked left and crossed over right. She ran in for a lay-up, but Troy blocked her shot. He quickly grabbed the ball and took it back behind the 3-point line.

"Let's make this interesting, Montez." Troy proposed dribbling the ball back and forth between his legs.

"What'd you have in mind?"

"Well, my back is pretty sore. I could use a massage…say twenty minutes for the winner?"

"You're on," she responded as Troy quickly bounced the ball between her legs once again and ran around her to get it. Gabriella turned quickly, and seeing he was almost to the basket, she ran up behind him and jumped on his back.

"Oof. Montez, I said my back hurt…you aren't helping. On top of that, what's with the fouling?" Troy asked as he attempted to dribble keeping the ball away from Gabriella, who had one arm around his neck, and the other reaching under his arm trying to poke the ball away.

"Deal with it Bolton," she said getting slightly frustrated because she couldn't reach the ball.

"You know, you are amazingly cute when you get frustrated," Troy admitted while he turned his head slightly to look at her, moving the ball from his right side to his left at the same time.

Troy smiled and leaned up softly brushing his lips against hers. Gabriella melted into the kiss as she stopped trying to reach the basketball, and placed her right hand on his cheek. Troy smiled into the kiss, as he focused on picking up the basketball with his left hand. He slowly moved closer to the basket while they were kissing. When he got close enough, he shot the ball with his left hand.

Gabriella felt him jerk as he shot the ball, and she broke the kiss looking up at the basket. She saw the ball bank off the backboard and fall into the basket. She then looked down in shock at Troy who had a huge grin on his face.

"Jerk! You're such a cheater, Bolton!" Gabriella shook her head. She let her hands slip from around his neck as she attempted to get down. But Troy quickly grabbed under her legs.

"Hey, I just used your own game against you. And, no way Gabi; you aren't getting down yet," Troy said as he spun around a few times and they both began to laugh. Troy walked them back over to the grass, before letting go of Gabriella's legs. He placed his hand near her knee and began to spin her a few times, as she held tightly to his neck. She finally reached the ground, and Troy quickly wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Did you have a good birthday?" Troy asked.

"One of the best," she replied sincerely as she looked into his eyes. "Thank you Troy. For everything."

Troy responded by leaning in and kissing her softly.

"You're welcome. Now, it's time for us to go to sleep, cause we have a big game to get to tomorrow," Troy reminded her as he let go of her waist, only to grab her hand moments later and interlace their fingers. The two headed towards the house, with big smiles on their faces, excited for the game the next day.

"Oh, and I think you owe me a back massage," Troy added as they entered the kitchen.


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: Here is the next chapter. Sorry it's later than usual. I got caught up doing finals. I hope you enjoy. Please read and review. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. **

**Lyrics: Switchfoot-Awakening**

* * *

**Chapter 7**

Gabriella stirred lightly hearing a tapping noise.

"Five more minutes," she mumbled before she pulled the blankets above her head.

Troy laughed outside as he watched her scrunch up her face, mumble something, and then bury herself under her covers. He grabbed the key hidden under the chair swing on the balcony and quietly unlocked the door. Quietly, he tip-toed across the room, and went towards her desk. He grabbed her ipod and scrolled to one of his favorite songs; he then scrolled to the chorus. He gently pulled back the blankets and put one earpiece in her ear. He then turned the volume up halfway and pushed play.

_Here we are now with the fallen sky and the rain_

_We're awakening!_

_Here we are now with the desperate youth and the pain_

_We're awakening! _

_Maybe it's called ambition_

_You've been talking in your sleep about a dream_

_We're awakening! _

Troy ducked down onto the floor, and tried to hold in his laughter.

"What the-," Gabriella began as she sat up looking around the room. She expected to see her little brother, but then realized that her balcony door was cracked open. She peered over the edge of the bed. "Troy!" She yelled throwing a pillow at his head.

Troy continued to laugh as he got up off the floor. "Fitting song, don't you think?"

"I'm so getting you back later, you punk," Gabriella said as she got up out of bed.

"Uh huh, whatever you say beautiful," Troy responded with a smirk.

He then darted around the room as Gabriella began to chase him. She finally caught up to him, and she jumped on his back making him face plant onto the bed. She began to tickle his sides, and he rolled over flipping her onto the bed. Troy smiled down at Gabriella.

"Hey," he said as he lightly rubbed her arm.

"Hey," she replied leaning in. She was barely an inch away from his mouth before she smirked, "Gotcha". She smiled and pushed him back onto the bed before getting up and running into the bathroom to take a shower.

Troy shook his head laughing, yet disappointed from Gabriella's teasing. He made her bed, and grabbed her remote turning on the TV. It was 10:30 am on Saturday morning. He turned it to CBS to watch the UCLA/Oregon basketball game. Suddenly he heard Emilee cry from the room next door. He knew it was about time that she woke up from her morning nap. He walked across the hall, and opened her door.

"Hey Emilee," he said as he walked over to her crib. "Did you have a good nap?" He smiled at her, and gently picked her up out of her crib. She looked up at him and reached her hand out, touching his face. He lightly grabbed her fingers with his mouth, and she began to giggle.

"Let's go watch the UCLA game, huh?" Troy said as he walked out of the room, across the hall, and back into Gabriella's room. He laid Emilee on the bed on her back, and sat down next to her, tickling her stomach. She began to squirm, and he picked her up and sat her up, placing her back against his chest. Emilee grabbed his index finger with her hand.

Just then, Gabriella opened the bathroom door and walked out in her Kobe jersey and a pair of jeans.

"Look who's awake," Gabriella said as she smiled and walked over to Troy. "Hey Emilee, did you have fun with Troy? I see you're watching basketball…that's…wow, UCLA is killing 'em." Gabriella commented, being distracted by the game.

"Yep," Troy responded as he lifted Emilee up towards Gabriella. "We gotta get going if we want to walk around LA a bit before the game."

"Okay, let's go then." Gabriella said as she took Emilee in her arms. "Hey, where's your Lakers gear?" Gabriella asked as they walked downstairs.

"In the car. Don't worry Montez…I'll be sporting the gear in a little bit," Troy said winking at her.

"Troy, I didn't hear you come in," Anna said as Troy and Gabriella walked into the kitchen.

"Hey Troy," Carlos, Anthony, and Michael yelled from the living room.

"Hey guys," Troy yelled back before turning back to Anna. "Oh, I came in the balcony, which is why you didn't hear me."

Anna Montez grinned as she looked back and forth between Troy and Gabriella. "You know, now that you two are dating…we may have to prohibit balcony visits." Anna began to laugh to herself as the two looked like they were desperately trying to come up with convincing ways to keep that from happening.

"I'm just kidding you two," Anna said to their relief. "We trust you both, and I'm not about to stop something that has been a habit for at least ten years."

"Thanks Mom," Gabriella smiled before giving her mom a hug.

"Yeah, thank you Mrs. Montez," Troy said as he walked towards her. As he saw her expression, he quickly corrected, "I mean Anna." Troy smiled and wrapped his arms around Anna and Gabriella forming a group hug.

Emilee began to giggle in the middle of this group hug, and all three pulled back and laughed along.

"Okay, I'll take this little cutie off your hands," Anna informed Troy and Gabriella as she took Emilee from Gabriella. "You two have fun at the game."

"We will," Gabriella responded as she gave her mom one last hug, and gave Emilee a kiss on the cheek.

"Bye Anna," Troy said as he gave her a hug. "Bye Emilee," he added as he kissed the baby's cheek and tickled her stomach.

The two walked into the living room hand in hand.

"Bye guys!" Gabriella called to her dad and brothers as they were focused on a movie.

"Oh, bye sweetie," Carlos Montez said turning his attention from the game to Troy and Gabriella.

"Bye Daddy. See ya Anthony and Michael!"

"Later," the two replied still engrossed in the movie.

"Have fun at the game you two," Carlos called out before they walked away.

"Definitely," Troy replied. "See you guys later."

After a long two hour drive that included lots of talking and listening to lots of music, the two arrived in LA. They decided to go to Universal Citywalk for a couple of hours since they couldn't get into Staples Center until 3:00 that afternoon.

The two ate lunch at Quiznos, and had a Jamba juice as they walked around various stores. They left to go across town around 2:30. When they arrived, they immediately went to their seats where they could see some Lakers' players warming up early.

"Holy crap!" Gabriella exclaimed as they walked down the steps towards their seats. "Troy, that's Kobe, and there's Fish!"

"This is freakin' awesome!" Troy responded excitedly once the two took their seats. "Kobe for the 3!" Troy whispered excitedly in Gabriella's ear as they watched the players warm up.

"And, he scores!" Gabriella played along. "So, Stu…what do you think of the trade that we made for Pao Gasol…good move?" Gabriella said as the two held microphones in front of them pretending they were the Lakers' announcers.

"Well Paul," Troy joined in, "I think it was an excellent trade. I mean, as I always say, the Lakers could use a solid big man underneath."

The two stopped suddenly as they saw Kobe and Pao Gasol look up at them as they neared their bench. Gabriella and Troy looked on in shock as two of their favorite players were within ten feet of them. The players grabbed their bags, and all of them went in to the locker rooms.

"Well, that was interesting," Troy pointed out as all the players were out of earshot.

"Yeah, talk about embarrassing yourself. Good job Bolton!" Gabriella said cheekily.

"You want me to tell Kobe how many posters you have of him on your wall?" Troy asked playfully.

"You want me to tell Kobe how many posters _you_ have of him on your wall?" Gabriella shot back, laughing at Troy's facial expression of mocked anger.

"Alright, alright. You win," Troy mumbled quietly.

"I what?" Gabriella asked, deciding to push the matter a little bit.

"You win," he repeated, with a little more enunciation yet still not loud enough.

"One more time? I didn't quite hear you," Gabriella pushed once more smirking.

"Montez…you win," he said one last time a little louder.

"Wow, I actually won. I can't believe it. How does it feel Bolton…to lose to a gi-," Gabriella began but was silenced as Troy leaned over and sweetly covered her lips with his. They pulled apart briefly, and Gabriella bit the inside of her lip before Troy leaned down once more and kissed her.

* * *

"Come on ref! Call that!" Gabriella yelled jumping up out of her seat after Kobe Bryant got knocked to the floor going in for a dunk.

Troy laughed for a second to himself until Gabriella turned around looking down at him as he was still in his seat.

"Oh, right," Troy stood up quickly. "Yeah, call that ref…what are you blind?"

Gabriella smiled and the two gave each other a high five. Just then Luke Walton poked the ball away from the other team and tossed it ahead to Kobe as he did a 360 dunk.

"Yeah!" Troy yelled as he stood up.

"Yeah Kobe!" Gabriella joined in standing up once again.

Soon it was halftime, and the score of the game was 54-43 in favor of the Lakers. Troy and Gabriella leaned back in their seats. They had been either standing up, or sitting on the edge of their seats the entire first half.

"So what do you think so far?" Troy asked getting comfortable.

"Amazing. I still can't believe we're here," Gabriella replied gazing around in awe.

"I know. You're lucky you have a boyfriend who can sing, otherwise we'd be sitting up there," Troy said with a grin as he pointed to the 3rd level.

Gabriella smiled back at him before leaning across the seat and softly brushing her lips against his. After a few seconds, the two pulled back and grins erupted on their faces. Gabriella leaned in once more kissing his cheek before she leaned her head on his shoulder. Troy wrapped his arm around her shoulder and grabbed his soda, placing it up towards her mouth. She smiled and took a drink before focusing her attention on the jumbotron, watching the NBA highlights.

"Ladies and gentlemen, now is the time for our raffle for this evening. If everyone would please pay attention, and take out your ticket stubs," the announcer said as Troy and Gabriella reached for their tickets.

"Tonight, we have a special event for you all. We will select two winners, who will bring another person with them down to the court where we will have a two-on-two game to five points. The winner will get courtside tickets to three home games of their choice this year, as well as a meet-and-greet pass to meet the players after tonight's game."

The crowd all cheered as everyone waited in anticipation.

"The first winner is Section 224, Row H, Seat 9. Please make your way to the court along with your selected teammate." A loud cheer was heard from the 2nd level.

"And our second winner tonight is Section 111, Row B, Seat 3. Please make your way to the court."

"Did he just say Row B?" Troy asked as he looked at his ticket.

"Yeah, holy crap. You won!" Gabriella yelled as she gave him a hug.

"Well, let's go teammate!" Troy said pulling her up.

"No way!?" She exclaimed in disbelief.

"Well, who else is gonna play with me? That guy's too busy with those nachos," Troy whispered quietly in her ear causing her to giggle softly.

"Let's do this!" Troy grabbed her hand and the two made their way down a few steps to the court.

"Ticket sir?" A security guard asked.

Troy pulled out his ticket stub and handed it over. The guard looked over it and nodded before pointing to center court.

"Alright sir. You two can head over to the man at center court right there. He'll give you further instructions."

"Thanks!" Troy yelled as he grabbed Gabriella's hand and started jogging to center court.

"Okay, so this is Rob and Michelle," the man said pointing to the other couple.

Troy and Gabriella reached across and politely shook their hands.

"Troy and Gabriella," Troy said smiling at the couple who appeared to be in their mid-twenties.

"Alright, here is the deal. You guys are playing half-court, winner takes the ball, first to five. Any questions?"

The four shook their heads, as the man gave the announcer the thumbs-up. The four walked over to the basket where a referee was standing with a basketball.

"Alright, let's keep it clean, folks," the referee said. "We'll flip a coin for take-outs. Heads or tails?" The referee asked Rob.

"Tails," he replied smiling, before the referee immediately flipped the coin in the air.

"Tails it is. You two have the ball first," he informed handing Rob the ball.

"Alright, babe. We can take these two kids," Rob said to Michelle as the two walked back behind the 3-point line. "I think we can handle them," he continued arrogantly causing Troy and Gabriella to smirk.

"Yeah, they look like they've never played before," Michelle added peering over her shoulder at the two.

Gabriella smirked over at Troy, and he responded by winking back at her. Gabriella smiled and nodded back in agreement.

Rob checked the ball to Troy, and then went to pass the ball to Michelle. Gabriella intercepted the telegraphed pass, and took the ball back behind the 3-point line. She quickly passed it to Troy, and darted for the basket. Troy passed it right back, and she ran in towards the basket, scoring a lay-up. Troy smiled and gave her a high-five.

Troy checked the ball, and immediately passed it to Gabriella. She dribbled around for a few seconds before bounce passing the ball to Troy, who had moved in front of her, backing Rob down in the key. Troy faked left and spun around right shooting a fade-away 8-foot jump shot, smiling as it sunk through the hoop.

"That's 2-0," the announcer stated as Gabriella and Troy pounded fists.

Gabriella checked the ball, and passed it to Troy who was on the baseline. Troy shot a 15-foot jump shot that rimmed in and out. He groaned and ran after the rebound, but Rob got it first. After taking the ball back behind the 3-point line, Rob faked left and went to cross over right, but Troy stole the ball. He passed it around his back to Gabriella as she ran into the key. She pulled up and hit a 5-foot jump shot.

Gabriella smiled and gave Troy another fist pound before she took the ball back. She checked it, and then passed the ball to Troy. He quickly passed it back and ran over behind the 3-point line. Gabriella faked the shot, and then whipped the ball around her back passing it to Troy. He caught the ball, and quickly released it towards the basket. The ball swished through giving Troy and Gabriella two points, and the win.

Gabriella smiled and cheered before running over and jumping into Troy's arms as he twirled her around. Troy put her down and the two gave each other another high-five.

"Yes!" They both yelled as they heard the crowd clapping.

The announcer then came over to them. "Okay guys, after the game is over, meet me courtside, and we'll take you to meet the players and get your tickets. Sound good?"

"Awesome!" They both replied grinning widely.

Troy and Gabriella held hands while they walked back over to their seats. They walked right past the Lakers' bench where a few players were seated. They felt some pats on their shoulders and turned to see Kobe Bryant and Luke Walton standing there.

"Good game," Kobe complimented as they continued walking.

Troy and Gabriella looked at each other with jaws dropped before they were able to muster up something to say.

"Uhh, thanks!" They both said timidly before they turned to walk back to their seats.

"Holy crap! Did Kobe just pat me on the back and say 'good game'? Pinch me," Troy said excitedly.

Gabriella laughed and reached over and pinched his upper arm.

"Ow, woman!"

"You said to pinch you," Gabriella replied cheekily.

Once the game was finished, and the Lakers had won 123-98, Troy and Gabriella rushed down to the court to meet with the man who was going to take them back to the locker room.

"I can't believe it," Troy sang shifting nervously back and forth.

Gabriella nervously nodded while scanning the arena in disbelief of where she was.

"I know, in like ten minutes, we are going to meet a bunch of our idols!"

"Crazy," Troy muttered in disbelief at their situation, before the man they were standing with began to usher them back into the tunnel.

The two tightly held hands with their interlocked fingers, both feeling the sweaty palms of the person next to them.

"Alright folks, here you are. Go ahead and walk in, and a man is waiting inside to take you further in the locker room. Congratulations once again."

Troy and Gabriella both took a deep breath before Troy pushed the door open.

"Hi, you must be Troy and Gabriella. I'm Tom, and I will take you back there where the players are waiting. They will probably be around for about twenty minutes. Here's some Lakers gear, and a sharpie for you to get signatures," Tom explained giving them each a small plastic bag containing a hat, t-shirt, poster, and calendar for the upcoming year. "If you have a camera, feel free to take pictures with them. And, your tickets for the upcoming games are in the envelopes in those bags. Have a nice evening, and congratulations to you both once again."

Troy and Gabriella looked at each other with mouths dropped before Troy took the initiative and began to walk around the corner. He stopped suddenly when he saw Lakers' center, Pao Gasol, towering over him. His sudden stop caused Gabriella to bump into him from behind.

Gabriella went to yell at him, but looked up and saw who he was looking at.

"Hi, I'm Pao. You two must be the winners of the halftime contest."

"Yeah, I'm Troy, this is Gabriella," Troy shared gaining some confidence.

"Cool. Nice to meet you." The two nodded, agreeing in response.

"Can we get you to sign these, and can we get a picture?" Gabriella asked.

"Sure thing."

After getting the whole team's signatures and getting pictures with them, Troy and Gabriella left the locker room.

"I still can't believe that happened!" Gabriella exclaimed skipping towards Troy's car.

"I know. I think I'm too excited to sleep tonight."

"Same here. Well, what do you say we hang out for the rest of the night?"

"Hang out with you? All night?" Troy joked laughing until Gabriella lightly punched him in the arm.

"Sorry," Troy laughed. "So, how about we go grab some coffee and then we can hang out in the basement at my place. Sound good?"

"Perfect. Let's go!" Gabriella said enthusiastically as they neared the car.

About an hour and a half later, the two arrived at the Bolton house. It was 11:00 at night, and most everyone was already in bed. Troy grabbed some snacks and met Gabriella in the basement.

"So, what are we watching?" Troy asked watching her search through the DVDs.

"How about we watch Alias?"

"Sounds good," Troy responded. "What season?"

"Two?" She asked as Troy nodded.

Gabriella smiled and stuck the DVD in before hopping on the couch next to Troy, and taking some chips from him.

"Hey!" Troy yelled jokingly.

"Hmm?"

Troy laughed at her attempted look of innocence, before dimming the lights as the two cuddled together.

"You didn't pick this so you could watch Michael Vartan all night did you?" Troy asked as he nudged her.

"You didn't agree so you could watch Jennifer Garner all night did you?"

"Touché." Troy laughed pulling her closer.


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: Thanks everyone so much for reading and reviewing. I appreciate it. Hope you like this chapter. Let me know what you think. **

**Chapter 8**

* * *

Lucille Bolton woke up the next morning at 6:00 and walked into Troy's bedroom. She saw he wasn't there, so she figured he stayed with Gabriella at her house. She grabbed her morning coffee, before walking downstairs to do laundry. She stopped and smiled at the sight in front of her. Troy was laying on the couch beside Gabriella facing her. His left arm was wrapped around her shoulders, her head was laying on his chest, and their fingers were entwined on their other hands. Both had content smiles upon their faces.

Lucille crept over and turned off the TV, before grabbing her laundry, and turning out the lights completely.

Troy stirred awake and smiled realizing Gabriella was in his arms. He kissed her head gently before just watching her, a smile forming on his face.

After a few minutes, Gabriella woke up to see Troy staring at her with a big grin on his face.

"Stalker much?" She asked giggling.

"Nope. Just watching my beautiful girlfriend," he responded as she buried her head in his chest and snuggled deeper into his side.

"What time is it?" Gabriella asked as she yawned.

"9:30. Wanna go get some breakfast?"

"Heck yeah!" She responded as she pushed herself up. She slipped on a jacket and turned to walk towards the steps, but stopped as she felt Troy tug on her wrist.

"Hold up," Troy began, but before she could ask why, he pulled her towards himself giving her a sweet kiss. "Good morning. Now, we can go."

As the two walked into the kitchen, hands and fingers interlaced, Lucille grinned.

"Hello lovebirds! How was the game?" Lucille asked.

"Awesome. We won tickets to some more games, and passes to meet the team!" Troy informed her.

"Sweetie, that's awesome! So, I saw you two in the basement…" Lucille began and smiled at the red, embarrassed faces in front of her.

"Nothing happened mom. We were just sleeping," Troy said quickly.

"Oh, hunny, I trust you. I just thought it was cute," she responded grinning at the two.

Troy was red from embarrassment. Gabriella unlaced their fingers and wrapped both her arms around his waist snuggling into his side, as she giggled.

"So what are you two doing today?"

"We were going to go to the park, and play some ball before maybe catching lunch and a movie later this afternoon with some of the gang." Troy answered while he poured a cup of milk.

"Okay, well dinner is at 6:00. Gabi, would you like to join us?"

"Sure, Lucille. I'll just let my mom know."

Alright kids, what do you two want for breakfast?"

"Cereal's fine Lucille. No need to make us anything," Gabriella spoke up sincerely.

"Nonsense Gabi. I have to make breakfast for Jack and the boys anyways, so what would you like?"

"French toast," Troy said smiling sweetly at Gabriella knowing it was her favorite.

"French toast it is. I even have strawberries and whipped cream," Lucille added grinning.

After breakfast, Troy and Gabriella took showers and got dressed before driving down to the park to meet up with Chad, Taylor, Zeke, and Sharpay.

"Hey guys," Troy greeted as him and Gabriella walked hand-in-hand up to the basketball courts.

"Look who finally decides to show up…twenty minutes late," Chad greeted with a smirk. "What were you two doing? Oh wait, I don't want to know."

"Shut up Chad," Troy countered. "Mom made French toast and I wasn't about to miss that."

"So how was the game last night?" Zeke asked.

"Amazing!" Gabriella piped up. "You guys wouldn't believe it. Being courtside…such an amazing feeling. I mean the players are right there. It's awesome."

"I bet that wasn't the only reason it was amazing," Sharpay said before she nudged Gabriella who blushed immediately.

"Yeah, we saw you two getting awfully cozy at one point when they panned to you," Taylor added prompting Troy to blush as well.

"What time did you get back last night?" Chad asked changing the subject much to Troy's and Gabriella's relief.

"Around 11:00." Troy replied pulling Gabriella into his side.

"Why so late? Wasn't the game over around 8:00?" Zeke questioned.

Troy and Gabriella exchanged amused looks, noticing that no one knew that they won the contest to meet the team.

"What?" the gang all asked curious as to what was going on.

"Oh, we sort of stayed afterwards and hung out in the Lakers' locker room," Troy commented nonchalantly grinning as he watched the four jaws drop, Zeke and Chad's going a little further.

"No way!" Chad exclaimed. "How'd that happen?"

"We got picked to play 2-on-2 against some other fans. We won, so we got more tickets and a chance to go meet the team." Gabriella said.

"So you met Kobe?" Zeke asked still in shock.

Troy and Gabriella nodded.

"And Pao?" Chad inquired.

The two nodded again.

"Fisher?"

"Farmar?"

"Phil Jackson?"

The questions of disbelief kept coming, Troy and Gabriella relishing the moment.

"Alright boys, enough with the questions," Taylor interjected. "You four start your game, so we can go grab some lunch soon."

"Teams?" Zeke asked as he snapped out of his daze.

"Me and Gabi against you two?" Troy suggested before picking up the basketball and bounce-passing it to Gabriella as she ran in for a lay-up.

"Sounds good to me," Chad said. "If the two of them are together, that means they'll be too infatuated with each other to play basketball."

Zeke, Sharpay, and Taylor all laughed, as Troy and Gabriella smirked knowingly considering their winning record since getting together.

"Whatever you say Chad. Gabi and I make a great team as always, and we can still kick your butt—together or not." Troy said as he shot the ball from the 3-point line sinking it, meaning him and Gabriella got the ball first.

The four played basketball for almost two hours. They were about to start another game when Sharpay walked onto the court and grabbed the ball tossing it over onto the grass.

"What the heck blondie?" Chad asked.

"Well, Afro-dork…I'm hungry. It's 12:30. So we're going to get food," Sharpay ordered. Troy, Gabriella, and Zeke began to laugh at the two while they bickered.

"Zeke, control your woman," Chad said jokingly. As he looked up from the basketball he had retrieved, he noticed the looks on Taylor's and Sharpay's faces. He tossed the ball quickly at Gabriella. "See ya!" He called out before turning and running across the grass while Sharpay and Taylor took off after him.

Zeke shook his head, being amused. "Okay, I'm gonna go catch my girlfriend before she kills Chad." With that, Zeke turned and ran off in the direction the other three went.

Troy started laughing once he saw Sharpay and Taylor tackle Chad in the distance. Gabriella smiled looking up at Troy who was laughing while watching Zeke try to pry Sharpay off of Chad.

"What?" Troy asked seeing that she was staring.

Gabriella bit the inside of her bottom lip. "Nothing," she replied, nervous that Troy would find out she was just admiring him.

Troy smiled noticing her nervous habit. He grinned before he leaned down and gently captured her lips while pulling her into a tight embrace.

"So, I believe we are now 8-0 in basketball games since we started dating, Miss Montez."

"I think you're right, Mr. Bolton. I just hope these improvements to my game keep up during the season."

"You're gonna do great Gabi. And, I'll be there cheering you on whether you score two points or fifty points."

Gabriella smiled and leaned up to softly kiss his lips. "Come on, let's go get some food," she suggested as she interlaced their fingers and the two strolled towards the other four.

After eating lunch at the mall, the gang decided to meet up at the movie theater across the street. Troy and Gabriella approached the rest of the gang, who seemed to be in a deep discussion.

"Well, it's basically a matter of watching an action or a romantic comedy," Taylor informed the group.

"Chick flick," Chad piped in.

"Romantic comedy," Sharpay said.

"No…_chick flick_," Chad enunciated.

"Afro dork, it's called a _romantic comedy_," Sharpay repeated.

"Alright you two. Calm down," Ryan spoke up.

"Why don't we just vote on it?" Jessica suggested, trying to get everyone to quit arguing.

Troy and Gabriella exchanged amused looks at their flustered group of friends. The gang all agreed on voting on a genre of movie.

"Alright," Ryan began, "I'll start. Action."

"Romantic comedy," Jessica voted.

"Action."

"Romantic comedy."

The rest of the gang voiced their opinions, and it was time for Gabriella and Troy to decide.

"Action," Troy stated, putting the action votes up by one.

Everyone looked at Gabriella.

"Well, it looks like we have a tie," Sharpay said. "Now, what?"

"Wait, we don't have a tie yet Blondie. Gabi still hasn't voted, and knowing her, she'll seal the deal voting for action." Chad said.

"Danforth, who's to say she'll pick action. Gabi herself is in a romantic relationship right now. Maybe she has changed, and will want to see a romantic comedy for once." Sharpay responded.

"Sure," Jason said sarcastically, "Gabi hasn't wanted to watch a chick flick ever in her life. Who says she'll start now?"

Gabriella shook her head at the fact that the group was arguing as if she wasn't there.

"Okay guys," she finally spoke up gaining everyone's attention. "This is interesting…either way, I'm gonna have a group of angry people."

"Gabi, don't feel like you have to vote for a romantic comedy just so you can see if Troy is actually doing things right in your relationship. I can save us all that hour and a half pain and heartache and let you know that Troy could use some romance lessons from me," Chad stated arrogantly causing the group burst out in laughter.

Troy and Taylor both hit Chad at the same time causing him to cry out in pain.

"Geez, what was that for?"

"Chad, Troy is more romantic than you'll ever be," Taylor said as she shook her head at him.

"_Anyways_," Gabriella interjected; "I vote for…," the group all paused in anticipation waiting for her all-important answer, "Action."

"Gabi," all the girls whined.

"Uh, Gabi…we need to take you out more with just us girls," Sharpay suggested.

"Hey, Gabi is perfect the way she is," Troy stood up for her, receiving a grateful smile and kiss on the cheek.

"Aww," the girls all said in response, as the guys rolled their eyes.

"Okay, let's go!" Chad said enthusiastically while the girls, minus Gabriella, whined.

"Come on, girls," Gabriella encouraged. "You get to see Matthew Fox…he's a hottie," she said in a sing-song voice.

"What!?" Troy exclaimed dropping their entwined hands.

"Oh, come on Troy. Just because I never say stuff like that, doesn't mean I don't think it. I mean, I am a girl," Gabriella defended grinning at Troy's pouting expression.

"Besides," she continued as she leaned up to whisper in his ear, "I think you're a hottie."

"Really?" Troy flirted while he let her intertwine their fingers.

"Yep."

"How hot?" Troy asked.

"Dude, we don't want to know," Zeke said interrupting their moment.

"Shut up dude," Troy continued. "How hot?" He asked again as he turned his attention back to Gabriella.

"The hottest," Gabriella replied while she blushed.

Troy smirked and then leaned down, gently covering her mouth with his, before she deepened the kiss. The two continued to kiss until they separated for air.

"I think you're the hottest too," Troy commented as he tucked some hair behind her ear.

Gabriella was in awe. She never believed anyone would say that to her.

"I love you," Gabriella said while she gently stroked his cheek with her fingertips.

Troy smiled.

"I love you too," he replied before passionately kissing her once again.

After they stopped kissing, Troy and Gabriella looked around to see that their friends were already inside at the concession stand. Troy interlaced their fingers, and quickly paid for their tickets before joining everyone inside.

"Took you long enough," Chad mumbled.

Taylor and Sharpay both smacked him on his head.

"Oww!" he yelled. "I'm going to sit down so I can enjoy my nachos without being abused."

The group all turned towards the theater and walked up to the back row taking a seat.

Troy put up the armrest that was separating him and Gabriella, and pulled her towards him. The two spent the movie cuddled together watching the screen. At one point, Troy threw a piece of popcorn at Chad as he and Taylor had been kissing for awhile. When Chad pulled away looking angry, Troy mouthed the word, 'payback', before smirking and pulling Gabriella closer once again.

Once the movie had ended, all eight of them stood up and exited the theater, gathering out front.

"So who's up for some pizza?" Jason asked.

"Me! Me!" Chad shouted. "You buying?"

"Whoa, calm down," Zeke said patting Chad's back.

"And, you're buying your own," Jason continued. "I'm not paying for you to eat two pizzas on your own again."

"Fine," Chad grumbled.

"You guys coming?" Kelsi asked.

"Nah, we told my mom we'd be back for dinner," Troy responded. "So, we gotta go. But, we'll see you guys at school on Monday."

"Yeah, basketball practice starts at 4:00, Captain. Don't be late because you decide that the girls' team captain needs some help," Chad joked earning another smack from Taylor.

"Whatever Chad. See you guys Monday!" Troy said before he and Gabriella hugged everyone goodbye.

Twenty minutes later, Troy and Gabriella were back at his house sitting down for dinner with his family.

"What movie did you guys see?" Adam asked as he sat down with his plate of food.

"Vantage Point," Troy answered.

"Was it good? I really want to go see it." Aaron joined in.

"It was amazing! The way they told the story from different viewpoints was so cool, and it was really intense." Gabriella responded.

"Yeah, you guys will like it," Troy added, "especially if you think Matthew Fox is a hottie." Troy laughed and nudged Gabriella not noticing the skeptical looks he was receiving from his three brothers.

Gabriella's cheeks turned bright red as she averted her eyes and became more interested in the food on her plate.

"Troy, you want to let us know why you just called a guy 'a hottie'?" Adam asked as Aaron and Tyler began to laugh.

"I think Troy may be in love with a certain actor," Tyler commented before ducking as Troy went to slap him upside his head.

"Shut up Tyler. I am in love. With Gabi," Troy said softly as he smiled at Gabriella. Gabriella smiled at him and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "Cause she thinks I'm a hottie," Troy continued as he ducked from Gabriella's attempt to smack him.

"Really? Gabi called you a hottie?" Adam asked.

"Wait," Aaron cut in, "Gabi called someone a hottie? I never thought that word would come out of her mouth."

Gabriella began to blush, and Troy put his arm around her shoulders and let her bury her face in his chest.

"Alright, enough guys. Gabi's getting embarrassed," Lucille said.

Gabriella sat up and shot her a grateful smile before she continued to eat. Troy discreetly placed his hand on her knee under the table and gave her a small smile. She smiled back and placed her hand over his, interlacing their fingers.

* * *

On Monday afternoon, both Troy and Gabriella couldn't wait for practices to begin. The guys' team went to the weight room while the girls' team took the gym for their practice.

Since it was the first week of basketball, it was also tryouts week. All players from varsity the previous year, were on varsity again. The girls' team had four positions open, while the boys' team had five.

Gabriella walked into the gym a few minutes early and began to warm up. She took a couple of laps before stretching somewhat and shooting some free throws.

"Hey there all-star."

Gabriella turned around and smiled as she saw Troy walking across the court in his Nike basketball shorts and gray cutoff shirt.

"Aren't you supposed to be in the weight room?"

"Maybe. But, me and the coach are like this," Troy said as he crossed his fingers. "Plus, I told him there was a _hottie_ playing basketball, and I needed to go watch."

Troy laughed as Gabriella pretended to be angry. When she went to punch him in the shoulder, Troy ducked and swiped the ball out of her hands, stepped a few feet to the right and sunk a jump shot.

"I hope you know I'm never calling you a hottie again," Gabriella said walking over to retrieve the ball.

"Ah, come on Gabi. You know you can't resist stating the facts," he replied, winking at her.

"Ego alert."

Troy smirked and wrapped his arms around her, while she leaned into his chest wrapping her arms tightly around his waist and breathing in his scent.

"Alright, I better get back before I get yelled at by both of our coaches. See you after practice," Troy said. He gave her a kiss on the cheek and a fist pound before walking back towards the weight room.

"You know, you two are pretty adorable," said Ashley, one of the seniors on the team.

Gabriella blushed before dribbling the ball between her legs and shooting an 18-foot jumper, trying to keep from turning even more red from embarrassment.

"Yeah, Gabi, you guys are really cute," another player, Julie said, grabbing a ball and warming up.

"Thanks guys. So, is the new girl here yet?" Gabriella asked changing the subject, referring to the student who had just transferred to their school.

"Yeah, I think she's in the locker room right now," Ashley answered. "I can't wait to see her play. From what I hear, she is really good."

"That's what Coach was saying," Gabriella added. "She played at her school in Chicago on varsity during her sophomore year, and she averaged 13 points and 10 rebounds a game. It'll be great to have some dominance inside this year."

"How tall is she?" Julie asked.

"Coach said about 5'9". If she makes it, which I'm assuming she will…that'll give us three people down low that are over 5'7", which will help majorly." Gabriella responded.

The three girls stopped talking and they looked up hearing the door open. They saw their coach enter the gym with a tall girl with blond hair that was tied up in a pony tail.

"Girls, this is Katie Jenson," Coach Long said. "Katie this is Ashley, Julie, and Gabriella, our captain."

The girls all shook hands politely as their coach walked to the sidelines to prepare some things before practice.

"So, you're from Chicago, huh?" Gabriella asked trying to start up some sort of conversation.

"Yep. I have lived there since I was seven," Katie responded as she caught the ball Gabriella had bounced to her.

"Where'd you live before?"

"California. When my mom was in college, she went to UC Berkeley, and that's where my parents met. So, we lived there for the first seven years of my life."

"Berkeley? That's cool. My best friend, Troy…his mom went to Berkeley," Gabriella said.

"Gabi, don't be shy. You can call Troy your boyfriend," Julie said grinning. Gabriella pushed her lightly on the shoulder.

"Oh yeah? What's Troy's last name?" Katie asked Gabriella. "One of the reasons we moved out here was because my mom's roommate from college lives here."

"Her last name now is Bolton. Lucille Bolton," Gabriella responded as Katie smiled.

"That's her! Hey, that's awesome that you know her."

"Yep. We are all really close…both our families. All our parents went to high school together." Gabriella turned her attention from the girls to her coach, as she blew the whistle to begin practice.

Throughout the practice, Gabriella smiled widely excited for the upcoming season. She had been excited for a few weeks, but seeing Katie play had caused her excitement to increase. Katie was a phenomenal basketball player, and Gabriella knew their chances of doing well this year had just improved immensely.

After practice was over, Gabriella sat in the locker room putting her stuff away, getting ready to go sit and watch the guys' practice.

"Hey Gabriella," Katie said when she walked into the locker room after having showered. "Great job today."

"Thanks! You too. You are awesome, and I can't wait to start regular practices."

"Well, I haven't made the team yet."

"Are you kidding me?" Gabriella asked in an encouraging tone. "No doubt you'll make it. If Coach doesn't put you on the team, I may just quit."

Katie smiled. "Thanks Gabriella. I appreciate the encouragement."

"Anytime. And, you can call me 'Gabi' by the way…if you want. Most everyone on the team does, so feel free…I don't mind."

"Thanks Gabi," she said as she tested the new nickname.

"Hey, you want to go grab something to eat real quick? It'll give us a chance to get to know each other better," Gabriella offered.

"Sure, that sounds awesome."

"Cool. I was planning on being back in a little bit to watch the boys practice, so we can grab our food and eat in the gym if that works?" Gabriella asked.

"Fine with me. Let's go," Katie agreed as they both stood up and walked out the locker room towards Gabriella's car.

"So, where to?" Gabriella asked as they got in.

"Well, what's good? I've only been here for a few weeks."

"In-n-out?"

"What's that?"

"Holy crap! We're going to In-n-Out," Gabriella responded excitedly before she pulled out of the parking lot. "In-n-out is this _amazing_ hamburger place. Seriously, it's heavenly."

With their food in hand, Gabriella and Katie climbed up the bleachers to take a seat at the top to watch the guys' practice, which was going to be finished soon. Gabriella made eye contact with Troy, who was doing a shooting drill with the team, and they both shyly waved causing a grin to erupt on both of their faces.

"So you and Troy Bolton, huh?" Katie questioned before taking a bite of her cheeseburger. "Oh wow, you weren't kidding," she said in awe referring to her cheeseburger.

Gabriella smiled at Katie's reaction before responding, "Yeah, me and Troy."

"How long have you been dating?"

"Only for a few weeks. He asked me out the night of Homecoming. But, we both have been best friends since birth, and we have had deeper feelings for awhile." Gabriella couldn't help the grin that formed on her face every time she talked about Troy.

"That's cute…the whole best friends in love thing," Katie replied with a smile. "So where do you live? How close are you to school?"

"I live about ten minutes away. I live across the street from Troy and his family."

"That's awesome! I'll probably see you a lot more then, beings that I don't think I'm going to be able to keep my mom and Lucille apart."

"Yeah, my mom will probably be thrown in the mix too. But, it's cool 'cause you can hang out with Troy and I, and the rest of us kids. You have any siblings?"

"Two sisters, Kim and Amber, both older. You?"

"I have an older brother, Anthony, a younger brother, Michael, and a baby sister, Emilee. But, Troy's family is like mine too. He has two older twin brothers, Adam and Aaron, a younger brother, Tyler, and two cousins who are always around, Kyle and Chris. Kyle's right down there," Gabriella pointed towards the far end of the court. "He's a freshman. So where do you live?"

"We live about a mile away from school in those new houses off of Sunset. Actually, do you know Rachel?"

"Rachel, the cheerleader?" Gabriella questioned.

"Yeah! She lives right next door to me. She and her family have all been really nice."

Gabriella shook her head to herself thinking it was just her luck that this really cool girl on her team is friends with the girl who has been trying to ruin her relationship with Troy.

"So, it's really cool that you all are so close—yours and Troy's families. Hey, what's with all the extra burgers?" Katie asked referring to the bag beside Gabriella that contained five cheeseburgers.

"The guys would kill me if I didn't bring them back some In-n-out," Gabriella responded, smiling when she saw the guys quickly run up the bleachers.

Chad was the first to reach the top, with Jason, Zeke, and Troy following close behind. All three, except Troy, lined up in the row in front of Gabriella and smiled at her in anticipation. Troy stepped up next to her, and gave her a sweet kiss before pulling her into his side.

"Troy, guys, this is Katie," Gabriella introduced as they all shook hands. "Troy, Katie's mom and your mom were college roommates."

"Oh, cool. Your mom is Sheryl?" Katie nodded. "Awesome, I guess we'll be seeing you a lot then," Troy lightly laughed.

Troy sat down, pulling Gabriella into his lap, before lightly kissing her again.

"Okay, if you two are done, I'd really like to get to the reason why I came up here," Chad began. "I smell and see In-n-out."

"Yes, Chad. There's a cheeseburger for each of you in that bag," Gabriella informed the four anxious guys.

"_A_ cheeseburger? As in _one_?" Chad inquired.

"There's two for you, Chad." Gabriella told him, smiling when she saw his face light up.

"Thanks Gabs! You're the best!" Chad said grabbing his cheeseburgers and giving Gabriella a hug before quickly taking a bite of his food.

The group of friends all laughed as they indulged in their dinner.

* * *

A week later, Troy walked into his house on Friday night accompanied by a very ecstatic Gabriella and Katie. Katie had made the girls team, and both girls couldn't be more excited. That night, Katie's family was joining the Montez and Bolton families for dinner.

Katie had been hanging out with the gang all week. When she wasn't with the gang or other girls from the team, she was with Rachel, and some of the other cheerleaders and jocks. The gang was slightly confused by her developing friendship with Rachel, but they let it slide knowing it wasn't their call as to who her friends were.

Troy, Gabriella, and Katie all sat down in the family room, as Troy turned on the Lakers' game. About ten minutes later, the boys all joined them, and a few minutes later Katie's family showed up. After all the introductions were done, the families sat down for dinner.

"So Katie…how has East High been so far for you?" Lucille asked, filling up her plate with some steak and mashed potatoes.

"It's great so far! Basketball's been a lot of fun, and the classes aren't too bad."

"You have any classes with Troy or Gabi?" Anna asked.

"Yeah, a few."

"I hope these two have been helpful, and have made you feel welcome," Jack added.

"Definitely. They and their friends have been great. I've also made some other friends at East High. Most of the kids are really nice," Katie added as Gabriella and Troy slightly rolled their eyes thinking of Rachel.

"And to think you doubted us, Dad," Troy added sarcastically before flashing an innocent grin to his parents.

After dinner was over, the Montez family walked back over to their house. Gabriella had a big smile on her face, excited that Katie had made the team, and that the weekend had finally arrived meaning more time with Troy.

As Gabriella entered the family room, she saw her parents already sitting there.

"What are you up to this weekend, Gabi?" Carlos asked, peering over his newspaper.

"Tomorrow Troy and I are going to the movies with the gang I think, and then Sunday, just homework and the family barbeque. Why?"

"No reason. I just wanted to know what your plans were."

Gabriella looked skeptically at her father, thinking that there was some reason for him starting up a conversation with her.

"Sweetie, how are things with you and Troy?" Anna asked, joining in this conversation.

Gabriella slightly rolled her eyes. 'So that's where this conversation is going.'

"Things are going great, Mom."

"I still can't believe my baby girl is dating," Anna said smiling.

"Emilee's dating!? Since when?" Gabriella asked sarcastically as her parents rolled their eyes.

"She won't be dating until she's at least 20," Carlos mumbled as Gabriella laughed.

"Carlos!" Anna exclaimed, smiling at her husband's protectiveness. "Anyways Gabi, I'm excited that you and Troy are dating. I had thought it would be awhile until you dated. I mean, you are always in those basketball clothes…you hide your beauty."

"Mom, do we really have to get into this conversation?" Gabriella questioned. Gabriella hadn't had any of these conversations for weeks, and she was getting used to it, thinking they wouldn't come up again.

"Gabi, your mom and I just want you to be happy. And, don't take this the wrong way, but boys are into appearances. If you don't start dressing more femininely and acting more like a young lady, Troy may start to become more attracted to some other girls. There are girls like Katie who play sports, but still dress like a girl. Troy may decide a girl like that is more appealing."

Gabriella began to get angry. She had experienced these types of conversations before with her parents. However, she had thought since she was dating Troy, her parents would see that not all guys were into physical appearance completely—that she could be herself and be comfortable, not having to change her appearance for a guy's affections and interest.

"I can't believe you guys would say that! Look, maybe I don't dress like most other girls, and maybe I am more like one of the guys than most girls…but I like who I am, and obviously Troy does too. I can't believe you guys would say something like that about Troy!" Gabriella began to get furious while she raised her voice towards her parents.

"Gabriella calm down. We'll drop the subject. We just want you to be happy sweetie," Anna said calmly before she got up and put her arm around her daughter.

"I am happy mom. The happiest I've ever been," Gabriella said shrugging off her mom's arm. "I'm gonna go to bed. I'll see you tomorrow."

Gabriella turned away quickly as her eyes began to swell with tears. She ran upstairs and shut her door right as the tears began to stream down her face.

Gabriella had spent much of her teenage years dealing with these conversations, and she was sure that when she finally got a boyfriend, her parents would back off. 'And he's the hottest, most sought after guy at school too,' Gabriella thought furiously wiping away some tears with the palm of her hand.

As Gabriella got into her bed, her cell phone beeped indicating she had a text message.

_Movie tomorrow at noon. I'll come by around 10 in the morning. I love you._

Gabriella smiled while she read the message from Troy, and quickly texted back.

_K. Cya then. Love you too. _

After placing her phone on her nightstand and turning off her lights, Gabriella's thoughts returned to the conversation she had with her parents, and the blue-eyed boy that lived next door. As much as she wanted to go with her heart and believe that she didn't need to change, she couldn't help but wonder if Troy may one day leave her for some other girl like Katie, just because she wasn't willing to change her appearance.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. **

* * *

**Chapter 9**

Early Saturday morning, an annoying vibrating noise awoke Gabriella from a deep sleep. She had not gone to sleep until close to 2:00 AM as she spent most of the night tossing and turning, deep in thought.

Reluctantly, she rolled over and reached for her phone on her nightstand with her eyes still mostly shut. After successfully grabbing her phone and knocking a book off her nightstand, she rolled back over and opened her phone.

"Yeah?" she mumbled groggily as she fought off the urge to go back to sleep.

"Aren't you wide awake this morning?" The happy voice replied.

"Why are you calling me at," Gabriella opened her eye partly and glanced at the clock, "9:00 on a Saturday? Troy! You know I don't wake up until at least 10:00 on Saturdays," Gabriella complained as she rubbed her eyes trying to wake up.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. _But_, I was thinking that you and I could head down to the beach this morning. The weather is awesome today, so we could head down towards San Diego, and grab some lunch somewhere. What do you think?"

Gabriella sat up slightly, and remembered her conversation with her parents and why she was so exhausted. She didn't really want to stay in the house with her parents all day, and she loved the beach. Deciding sleep wasn't that important, she got up out of bed.

"Alright, I'm up. Come by in like twenty minutes. I just have to take a shower real quick."

"Awesome! I can't wait; I'll see you soon."

"Bye," Gabriella said before hanging up.

Troy smiled as he stood outside Gabriella's house by the screen door near the kitchen. He knocked lightly before opening it.

"Hello?" He said in a questioning tone as he walked towards the kitchen.

"Hey Troy," Carlos greeted as Troy entered the kitchen.

"Hi Troy, how are you this morning?" Anna asked as she placed a plate of pancakes on the kitchen table.

"I'm great. We're going to San Diego today," he replied excitedly.

"Great day for that. Where are you guys headed in San Diego?" Carlos asked curiously.

"Probably Carlsbad or Encinitas. We're going to get some lunch somewhere down there too."

"That's great. Are you hungry?" Anna asked as she finished fixing Emilee a bottle.

"Not for that," Troy joked gesturing at the bottle.

Anna laughed before smacking him lightly on the shoulder. "Since when are you so sarcastic?"

"Blame it on my dad," Troy replied as he shrugged his shoulders. "And, thanks but I ate at home. But, how about I give Emilee that bottle while you eat your breakfast?"

"You don't have to do that Troy."

"It's nothing Anna. I'm early anyways. Go on, eat," Troy encouraged as he picked Emilee up out of her seat and sat down with her in his arms at the kitchen table. He smiled as she began whimpering for her bottle, and quickly he placed it in her mouth.

Gabriella walked downstairs hoping Troy was early as she didn't want to talk too long with her parents. She was still frustrated with them and their conversation from the night before, and she didn't want them to bring it up, especially in front of Troy. As she walked into the kitchen, she grinned seeing Troy sitting with Emilee in his arms. Emilee had one hand on the bottle and the other wrapped around Troy's index finger.

"Morning," she greeted as she bent down and kissed his cheek causing him to grin and blush.

"Hey, you ready to go?" Gabriella smiled, grateful that she didn't have to stay around her parents much longer. There was an awkward tension in the room as the three family members hadn't greeted each other, or even made eye contact.

"Yeah, let's go. Here, I'll go put Emilee in her bed," Gabriella suggested as Troy gently placed Emilee in her arms and the two headed off upstairs. Troy smiled as Gabriella kissed Emilee's cheek and gently placed her in bed covering her with a blanket.

As Gabriella turned around to face Troy, he leaned down and gently captured her lips with his as his hands rested on her waist, and hers on his shoulders. They broke apart briefly before sharing one more kiss. As grins erupted on both of their faces, Troy wrapped his arm around her shoulders and she interlaced their fingers, before they headed downstairs.

"Have fun you two," Anna said as they stopped in the entry way of the kitchen briefly.

"Thanks, we will," Troy said excitedly.

"Bye Gabi," Anna said softly trying to break the tension.

"Be safe," Carlos added as Gabriella nodded with a gentle smile.

"Always," she said before wrapping her arm around Troy's waist as the two headed out the front door.

Troy opened the car door for her before running around to the other side and hopping in.

After driving for a few minutes, Troy broke the silence.

"You okay Gabi?"

"Yeah, sure. Why?" Gabriella shifted uncomfortably and gazed out the window finding the trees on the roadside more interesting.

"It just seems like something's wrong. You barely acknowledged your parents back there."

Gabriella let out a sigh as Troy reached over and grabbed her hand, slowly running his thumb over the top of her knuckles.

"I just had a little fight with my parents last night."

"About?" Troy probed.

"The usual," Gabriella admitted as she glanced quickly up at Troy and the two made eye contact before Troy broke it, focusing once again on the road.

"Dang. Gabi, I'm sorry. You should have told me last night; I could have come over or something."

"It's fine Troy. I'm used to those talks by now anyways."

"Well, you shouldn't have to get used to them. That's just messed up. I love your parents, but it's still messed up."

Gabriella smiled gratefully at him before interlacing their fingers.

"You sure that's all? I've never seen you so down after a talk with your parents."

Gabriella felt the nerves begin to rise up as she contemplated telling him what actually happened. Deciding that it was stupid of her to think that Troy would ever leave her, she shook her head and gave him a reassuring smile.

"It's fine. I just thought those talks were a thing of the past; that's all."

"Well," Troy began as he brought her hand up and kissed the back of her hand, "when you are dating the _hottie_ of the school, one would think those conversations would be a thing of the past."

Troy grinned as Gabriella smacked him lightly on his arm.

"Cocky much?" Troy laughed. "And what happened to you not making fun of me for the hottie thing?"

"Sorry," Troy replied cheekily, "I couldn't resist."

* * *

Gabriella came down the stairs Monday morning with a big smile on her face. Wednesday was Gabriella and Troy's official one month anniversary. She had reconciled with her parents somewhat Saturday evening. They had apologized for upsetting her, and even though they didn't take back what they said, she still forgave them. She knew that it was almost inevitable that the conversations would continue. She figured she had gotten used to them over the past years, and she could get used to them now.

"Hey mom," she greeted as she kissed her cheek and took a seat at the table.

"What's got you all happy?" Anthony asked grinning while he poured some cereal into his bowl.

"Wednesday is Troy and my one month anniversary," she said, her smile growing impossibly wider.

"Wow, one month huh?" Carlos smiled at his daughter's happiness.

"Yep!"

"Gabi and Troy sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-," Michael stopped as a Cheerio hit him in the face.

"Shut-up Michael. I am seriously gonna give you so much crap when you start dating," Gabriella warned as she finished her breakfast.

Gabriella sprung up from her seat hearing the doorbell ring. Glancing at the clock, she saw that Troy was a few minutes later than normal.

"Alright, bye you guys. See you tonight!" She yelled as she grabbed her backpack and gym bag before rushing out the door.

"Hey!" Troy greeted kissing her cheek before grabbing her bag. "Sorry I'm late. Mrs. Jenson and Katie came over this morning, and that got my mom all distracted."

Gabriella smiled before assuring him that it was okay.

"Anyways, we're taking Katie too this morning if that's cool."

"Sure. Hey Katie!" Gabriella gave her a high-five as she got in the front seat of Troy's car.

"Hey Gabi. My mom insisted that I come over this morning and catch a ride with you guys. Sorry to intrude."

"Hey, not at all. How was your weekend?"

"Great! I hung out with Rachel and some of the guys on the football team all day Saturday, and on Sunday night, I hung out with this dork," Rachel mentioned as she ruffled Troy's hair.

"Hey! I resent that," he yelled back turning around to glare at her quickly.

The two started laughing, and Gabriella suddenly felt a strange pang of jealousy hit her. 'Troy didn't tell me they hung out.' Gabriella quickly shook off those negative thoughts once they pulled up to the school and headed towards the entrance.

Troy wrapped his arm around Gabriella's shoulder and kissed the side of her head affectionately.

"So guess what Wednesday is?" Troy could barely control his excitement as he posed the question.

"Lakers against the Celtics?" Gabriella replied sarcastically with equal amusement in her voice.

"Well that too. It is also my one month anniversary with a hottie," Troy paused as Gabriella raised her eyebrows at him. "I mean, with my girlfriend."

"Much better. So, where are we going to celebrate this monumental occasion?"

"That's for me to know and you to find out. Anyways, we better get to class," Troy suggested as they grabbed their books out of their lockers. "I have to help my dad with something before lunch, but I'll meet you here at the beginning of lunch?"

"Actually, I have to grab a book at the library for the History project. Meet me there?"

"Sounds great. Let's go."

* * *

Gabriella was waiting outside the library. It was now seven minutes into lunch period, and Troy still hadn't shown up. Realizing he probably was too hungry to remember, Gabriella took off towards the cafeteria. As she turned the corner, she saw Troy at the end of the hallway laughing with Katie.

As the pangs of jealousy attempted to surface again, she pushed them away and approached the two.

"Hey Gabi. Oh crap!" Troy said as he realized he had forgotten.

Gabriella shook her head with a smile on her face. "It's no big deal. I'm starving though, so let's go."

After sitting down with the rest of the gang, Troy immediately reached over and grabbed Katie's lunch.

"Troy! What the heck?"

Troy smiled and grabbed a bag of chocolate chip cookies out of the paper bag before smiling and tossing it back at Katie.

"No Sacramento Kings fan deserves something this delicious," Troy teased as he took a bite of the cookie.

Katie reached over to grab her bag of cookies back as Troy leaned back and put them out of her reach.

"Stop tainting them! My mom's cookies were not made for Lakers' fans." Katie stood up and ran around the table, grabbing onto Troy's arm while he held the cookies out of reach with the other hand.

"Ow!" Troy yelled as Katie pinched his arm and successfully retrieved her cookies.

"That's what you get!" Katie smirked sitting back down and taking a bite of cookie with an exaggerated look of satisfaction.

"Gabi, did you know she was a Kings fan? I think you should reconsider letting her join varsity," Troy suggested before he began to eat his own lunch.

Gabriella shook her head as Troy and Katie began a conversation about basketball. The rest of the gang watched in amusement while Troy and Katie bickered. Taylor nudged Sharpay however, the two taking notice of Gabriella's suddenly quiet demeanor.

"Um, I have to go," Gabriella said quickly standing up and gathering her trash.

"Where to?" Troy asked looking away from Katie.

"The library. I forgot I need another book."

"You want me to come with you?" Troy asked, while shoving some food in his mouth quickly.

Gabriella laughed slightly. "No, I'll see you later on. Don't choke."

She smiled and waved to the rest of the group before she walked out of the cafeteria. Sharpay and Taylor nodded at each other before standing up.

"We'll be right back."

The two girls walked out of the cafeteria and turned towards the library. After searching the library and not finding Gabriella, they headed back towards the cafeteria. As they passed the gym, they heard someone playing basketball.

"Gabi?" Sharpay questioned once she opened the doors.

"Hey," Gabriella greeted taking a shot and missing, sighing in frustration.

"You okay?" Taylor asked, approaching Gabriella.

"I'm fine."

"What happened to the library?" Sharpay asked.

"Oh, um, I decided I could do that later." Gabriella continued to shoot baskets trying to ignore the two girls.

"You sure you're okay?" Taylor inquired once more.

Gabriella nodded without looking at them and went in for a lay-up.

Sharpay and Taylor took the hint that Gabriella was not in the mood to talk.

"Well, if you need anything…we're here," Sharpay offered before the two girls exited the gym.

'What I need is to shake these feelings of jealousy,' Gabriella thought as she heard the bell ring signaling that class was starting soon. Gabriella put the ball back on the rack and walked out to go to her next class.

* * *

Troy nervously rang the doorbell at the Montez home Wednesday morning. He didn't know why he was nervous, but it had been that way all morning.

"Hi Carlos," Troy greeted as he walked through the door.

"Hey Troy. What's that?" Carlos asked gesturing to the item Troy had behind his back.

"Oh, I thought Gabi would answer the door, so I wanted to hide it somewhat," Troy said as he pulled a single red rose out that was attached to a CD that was wrapped.

"A CD, huh? Most guys bring a bouquet of roses and chocolates or something similar," Carlos commented cheekily.

"Yes, but most girls aren't like your daughter. She's special, and she wouldn't know what to do with a whole bouquet of roses and a pink, heart-shaped box of chocolates," Troy laughed.

"Very true. She knows what to do with a single rose?"

"Well, she told me before she doesn't really know what to do with a bunch of flowers, but she always thought a single rose was a sweet gesture."

Carlos grinned as Troy blushed slightly.

"Come on in, Gabi's still upstairs."

Minutes later, Gabriella entered the kitchen to see Troy casually leaning against the wall on the opposite side grinning, as one hand was hidden behind his back.

Gabriella couldn't help the smile that began to form on her face. Sure, she had been struggling with some issues of jealousy, but she didn't want to ruin this day.

"Happy anniversary," Troy grinned while he walked up to her in his red plaid shirt and blue jeans. He smiled as he noticed she dressed up more than normal, wearing a light blue v-neck sweater and some dark skinny jeans.

"You look beautiful," Troy told her before leaning down and gently capturing her lips.

Gabriella smiled and wrapped him in a hug.

"Ow!" She yelled as she quickly pulled away.

"Crap! Dang it, I'm so sorry Gabi. Freakin' thorns! That's what I get for getting a rose from my mom's rose garden."

Gabi laughed as she wiped her finger off on a napkin.

"Well, I kind of screwed that up," Troy mumbled. "But here," Troy said handing her the CD and rose, "Happy Anniversary. There's more to come tonight, but just think of this like the stocking before the presents on Christmas morning."

The room erupted in laughter at Troy's analogy, reminding the two teenagers that they weren't alone in the kitchen.

"Thanks!" Gabriella excitedly unwrapped the package, after glaring at the rose for the pain it had caused. "Sweet!"

"What is it?" Michael asked curiously.

"The One Republic CD," Gabriella told him. "Thanks Troy," Gabriella smiled as she leaned up and kissed him lightly.

"Gabi, you want me to put this rose in a vase?" Anna asked as she picked it up.

"Fine with me. Just as long as I don't have to touch it again." Troy laughed at his girlfriend's comment before pulling her into another hug, and leading her out the door.

* * *

"Hey Troy!"

Troy turned and smiled as he saw Katie coming up to him. He had just finished practice, and he was headed out of the gym towards his locker to meet Gabi and go home to get ready for their date.

"Hey Jenson, what's up?"

"What's with the last name, _Bolton_?"

Troy laughed and shook his head. "No reason; just felt like it."

"Whatever. You going to meet Gabi?"

"Yep. Tonight is our anniversary, so we're going out."

"Really?" Katie asked as they rounded a corner headed down a hallway towards Troy's locker. "One month yeah?" Troy nodded. "Where are you taking her?"

"That is for me to know and you _not_ to find out," Troy grinned cheekily as she pretended to take offense to his comment.

"Fine, if that's how it's gonna be…," Katie trailed off.

"Yep. I can't have Gabi finding out. It's a surprise and she's a sneaky one."

"Alright, I'll find out tomorrow. Anyways, you still up for a movie Saturday?"

"Yeah, that sounds good. Gabi's going with her family to visit some family in San Diego Friday night to Saturday, and she should be back around 5:00 on Saturday night. Wanna go at 2:00?"

"Sounds great," Katie agreed as they came up to Gabriella leaning up against her locker.

Troy greeted Gabriella with a smile and a soft kiss on the lips.

"Hi," Troy said once they pulled apart.

"Hey," Gabriella smiled before turning and looking at Katie. "Hi Katie."

"Hey Gabi. Congrats on your one-month with this geek," Katie bumped Troy's shoulder with her own.

"Hey!" Troy yelled out offended.

Gabriella smiled and wrapped her arm around his waist, leaning her head on his chest. Troy pulled her close and kissed the top of her head.

"You need a ride home Jenson?" Troy asked. Gabriella tried to keep herself from feeling hurt. She had barely seen Troy all day, and she didn't want anything else to deter them from getting to their evening together.

"Nope, I told Rachel I'd wait around for her. They had cheer practice tonight."

Katie noticed how Troy's and Gabriella's faces both dropped at the mention of Rachel's name.

"Can I ask you guys a question?" They both nodded as Katie continued. "Why do you guys and the rest of the gang not seem to like Rachel?"

Gabriella looked up worriedly at Troy as he cleared his throat. "It's no big deal Katie. If you want to hang out with her and you get along with her, then don't worry about us. There were just some things that went down before you got here."

Sensing they didn't want to talk about it anymore, Katie just nodded her head and smiled gratefully.

"Alright. I'll let you two get to your romantic date…that is if Bolton here can be romantic," Katie smirked at Troy. "See you both later!"

"Bye Jenson," Troy grumbled. "And I can be romantic!" He yelled as an afterthought after she had rounded the corner.

Gabriella smiled and pulled Troy towards the exit.

"I can be romantic, right?" Troy questioned getting into his car.

"Yes Troy, you can be romantic," Gabriella grinned.

"Thought so."

* * *

As Katie walked through the gym towards the women's locker room, she was deep in thought about what Troy had said. '_There were just some things that went down before you got here_.' She thought this over, and couldn't help but wonder if maybe some of the rumors about Rachel were true. Katie may have been oblivious to some things, but she knew all about Rachel's reputation of being snobby and rude to some people. She had just never seen that side of Rachel, and Katie couldn't help but wonder why.

"Hi Katie," Rachel exclaimed as Katie walked into the locker room.

"Hey Rach. You ready to go?"

"Yep. Just let me grab my stuff from my locker."

The two girls walked down the hallway, and Rachel looked skeptically at Katie.

"What's wrong Katie? You seem deep in thought about something."

Katie sighed wondering if she should bring up the possibly uncomfortable conversation.

"Okay. We've been hanging out a lot these past couple weeks. And, I love it. I enjoy hanging out with you, watching movies, doing homework...doing whatever."

Rachel stopped walking and turned towards Katie, trying not to laugh. "Are you breaking up with me?"

"Shut up," Katie mumbled as a grin formed on her face. "Look it's just I have no problems with you, but a lot of people here at school do."

"Ah, so this is about my reputation?" Katie nodded. "Look Katie, I like you. But, let's not go there. People have problems with me, and I have problems with them. You and I get along great, so just don't worry about it."

Rachel continued down the hall as Katie followed.

"Fine, I'm just bothered by the fact that whenever you and I hang out, Gabriella, Troy, and those guys all seem to disapprove. Why?"

"Listen, Katie," Rachel said as she opened her locker. "Gabriella has a problem with me because I'm the captain of the cheerleading squad and she feels threatened that I'll take Troy away from her."

Katie shook her head. "You wouldn't do that though. I mean, everyone knows those two are adorable together."

Rachel's face turned slightly red as she gripped her locker in anger. "You're new here Katie. Let me fill you in. Basically, Gabriella is classified as a nerd. She's more like a guy sometimes than a girl, in the way she dresses and acts. But still, she's dating the hottest, most wanted guy at school. Not _everyone_ thinks those two are supposed to be together. And that's not going to change."

Katie noticed that Rachel's voice was laced with bitterness and anger, even though she was trying to mask it. Deciding to push just a little further, Katie continued.

"So do you not think they should be dating?"

Rachel sighed in frustration. "Katie, I _really_ don't want to talk about this. I've got a lot of stuff to do, so let's just get out of here."

Katie nodded, still unconvinced. She was beginning to sense that maybe the issue had to do with Troy and Gabriella dating. Katie didn't want to stir up any more trouble though, and Rachel had done nothing to her, and to her knowledge, she had done nothing horrible to Troy or Gabriella either. In her opinion, she had no reason to stop hanging around Rachel, so she chose to drop the subject and hope that eventually her two groups of friends could all get along.

* * *

Troy looked over at the girl next to him and smiled as she carelessly flipped through his book of CDs.

"You know Troy, if you weren't a romantic, than you wouldn't have this CD entitled 'Favorite Love Songs'," Gabriella lied trying to hide her grin.

"What CD!?" Troy exclaimed.

"Calm down Bolton. I was just kidding."

"Good, 'cause I drive too many people around to be caught dead with a CD like that in my collection."

Gabriella laughed as she popped in a CD, and placed the book back in the backseat.

"So where are we headed Mr. Bolton?"

"As I have told you countless times tonight Miss Montez…you're not getting anything out of me. You'll know soon enough," Troy grinned before he took one hand off the wheel and found Gabriella's hand, interlacing their fingers.

Thirty minutes later, Troy pulled into a parking space and ran around the other side to help Gabriella out of the car.

"Downtown Disney, huh?"

"Yes ma'am. You ready?" Troy asked as he held out his arm. Gabriella smiled and linked hers through his as the two walked into Downtown Disney.

"So, I was going to take you to the ESPN zone, but I thought maybe for once we'd have kind of a quiet, _romantic_ dinner…since you know, I'm all about the romance," Troy winked at Gabriella as she began to giggle.

"Seriously Troy, you're still on that?" Troy nodded his head emphatically. "Well, you can let it go, 'cause I think you are romantic. And, even though I used to make fun of all the romantic stuff, I like how you are with me. Apparently so do Sharpay and Taylor as those two can't stop going 'awwww" every time I tell them anything you do."

Troy blushed and smiled before pulling Gabriella into his side and leading her into the Jazz Kitchen where they were having dinner. The two were seated upstairs at a table near a window. The candle lit room was filled with couples out to eat as the sounds of jazz music filled the air.

As Troy finished his plate of filet mignon, he smiled at Gabriella who had finished her roasted chicken.

"Finally!" Gabriella exclaimed as she watched Troy dramatically place his fork down and lean back in his chair rubbing his stomach.

"Quiet Montez. I'm a growing man…I have to keep up my energy."

"Well, maybe you would have been done sooner if you didn't keep stealing my chicken."

Troy smirked causing Gabriella to shake her head before she turned to look at the live musicians in the corner. As Gabriella looked away, Troy took the opportunity to check his pocket. Feeling the suede box was still in his pocket, he pulled it out discreetly and placed it in his lap.

"You ready for your gift?" Troy asked as Gabriella's eyes grew wide and she nodded in excitement.

"But first, let me give you your gift," she suggested as she pulled her purse into her lap.

Troy began to laugh slightly.

"What's so funny Bolton?" Gabriella asked as she placed her hands back on the table.

"I still can't get over the fact that you're carrying a purse, and a pretty big purse at that."

Gabriella smirked evilly before kicking Troy under the table.

"Ow!" Troy exclaimed as he reached down and grabbed his shin.

"Serves you right. Now, if you want to keep making comments about this purse here, I will just put this gift right back into it," Gabriella raised her eyebrows as she pulled the present out slightly before slipping it back into her purse.

"No, no, no…it's wonderful that you are carrying a purse Gabi. The color brings out your eyes, and it makes you look even more beautiful, and-," Troy rambled excitedly.

"Okay, okay," Gabriella cut him off. "You've groveled enough. Just so you know, the only reason I decided to carry this stupid, large purse is so that I could fit _your_ present in it," Gabriella smiled as she pulled out a large rectangular shaped item wrapped in NBA wrapping paper.

Troy smiled and quickly grabbed the gift, ripping the paper of in excitement. Troy's smile grew even more as he looked at what he had gotten. Gabriella had taken the pictures of the two of them with various Lakers players from the game they had attended, and placed the pictures in a black frame.

"This is awesome! I was wondering when I was going to see these pictures. Thanks Gabi!" Gabriella smiled in response. "Your turn," Troy said as he placed the box on the table and gently slid it towards Gabriella.

Gabriella gingerly opened the box and gasped as she gazed at the object. It was a silver charm bracelet with a few charms on it. There was a basketball hoop and basketball, a Lakers charm, a charm with the number 14 on it (both her and Troy's number), one with the Switchfoot symbol, and finally one that said 'TB + GM'.

Gabriella leaned across the table and captured Troy's lips, and then pulling apart only to quickly join their lips together once more. Troy grinned as the two sat back down.

"You really like it?" Troy asked as Gabriella nodded. "Okay, because I know you don't really wear a lot of jewelry, but I thought maybe you'd like this."

"I love it, seriously," Gabriella assured him while she pulled it out of the box. Troy got up out of his seat and leaned down next to her, taking the bracelet, and hooking it around her wrist. He then kissed her hand and pulled her up from her seat.

"Come on," Troy smiled as he interlaced their fingers after leaving money on the table to pay for their dinner. "We have more to do still."

Troy led Gabriella out of the restaurant, and began to walk through Downtown Disney. He pulled her through the crowd, and took her off to the side towards a secluded area lit by Christmas lights and surrounded by trees. As some soft jazz music could still be heard in the background, Troy wrapped his arms around Gabriella's waist and pulled her close. She responded by wrapping her arms around his neck, playing with the hair on the nape of his neck, and burying her face into his chest while they began to sway gently to the music.

"I love you," Troy whispered as he pulled Gabriella tighter.

Gabriella smiled and placed one hand on his cheek as she slowly stroked the side of his face.

"I love you too."

* * *

Gabriella rushed through her front door, and ran up the stairs to place her things on her bed. She looked down at her wrist where her new bracelet lay and smiled. Gabriella had just returned from visiting family in San Diego. She had gotten back two hours early. She smiled and skipped down the stairs, running across the street to the Bolton's house. She was bummed because she had spent the majority of her weekend so far away from her boyfriend and best friend, and she couldn't wait to see him again.

She had called and texted Troy on her way back, but she hadn't gotten a response. Figuring he was at home and just left his phone in his room, Gabriella knocked on the front door expecting for her boyfriend to answer.

"Hi Gabi."

"Oh, um, hi Lucille. Troy here?"

"No, he said he was going to hang out at the mall; he left a few hours ago."

"I've been trying his cell, but he's not answering."

"Maybe that's what that noise was...," Lucille trailed off. "I was sitting and reading in the family room, and I kept hearing this faint music. I thought at first it was one of the boys playing music upstairs, but they said it wasn't."

Gabriella smiled as she knew that Lucille was not one of those moms too familiar with technology. She still needed help figuring out how to change her ringtone on her cell phone.

"You want me to see if I can find it?" Gabriella asked sweetly, and Lucille nodded in response.

Gabriella called Troy's number again, and heard a faint noise coming from the couch. Gabriella reached in between the cushions, and pulled out Troy's cell phone, holding it up in triumph.

"Well, at least now I know why he wasn't answering," Gabriella said as she placed his phone in her pocket. "I'm going to head down to the mall and see if I can find him," Gabriella informed Lucille, before giving her a hug goodbye, and heading out towards her car.

* * *

"That was so good!" Katie said as she exited the movie theater with Troy by her side.

"Yeah! I'm going to have to bring Gabi to watch that next week."

"You want to grab some food?" Katie asked while they walked towards the food court of the mall that was across from the movie theater.

"Maybe. Let me text Gabi to see if she's on her way back yet," Troy reached into his pockets in vain, as he couldn't find his phone.

"Dang it, I think I forgot my phone. Can I borrow yours real quick to call home?"

Katie nodded and handed over her phone.

"Hey mom," Troy said. "Is my phone still at home?"

"Hi Troy. No, Gabi found it and she has it. She's on her way down to find you. I'll call her and let her know you're still there. Where are you at?"

"Tell her to meet me in the food court. Thanks mom."

"You're welcome. Bye."

Troy handed Katie back her phone.

"Alright Jenson, let's get some grubbage. I'm starving and Gabi's on her way with my phone."

Gabriella entered the food court and looked around trying to find Troy. After looking for a few minutes, she finally spotted him. He was sitting at a table with Katie, and the two were grinning as they threw some French fries back and forth at each other.

Suddenly the jealousy that she hadn't experienced for a few days surfaced again. But this time, it was accompanied by a sadness and pain as she saw the guy she loved having so much fun with another girl, who in her opinion was much more beautiful than herself.

Gabriella felt tears prick her eyes, and she quickly darted out of the mall, before driving home as tears began to fall. It wasn't that she didn't like Katie or that she was angry with Troy for hanging out with her. She trusted Troy, and knew that he would never purposely hurt her. But, the fact remained that countless girls still wanted her boyfriend, and Gabriella worried that one day he would decide she just wasn't enough for him.

Gabriella wiped away her tears before she walked into the Bolton house.

"Hey Lucille," she called as Lucille turned around at the stove and grinned at Gabriella.

"Back so soon?"

"Yeah, um…I realized I had some homework to do. Here's Troy's phone back. Tell him I'll talk to him tomorrow," Gabriella finished hurriedly before she rushed out the front door.

Collapsing on her bed, Gabriella twirled her charm bracelet around on her wrist as she felt more tears fall. She soon fell asleep praying that she could hold on to the one person who meant more to her than anything else.

* * *

**AN: Thanks everyone for reading and reviewing! I really appreciate all your thoughts. And if you haven't yet, check out my new oneshot called 'A Slice of Love and Basketball'. **


	10. Chapter 10

**AN: Thank you so much everyone for the reviews last chapter! I think that was the most so far. I hope you enjoy this chapter. The drama is starting to increase a bit. Leave a review and let me know what you think. Oh, and check out my new oneshot 'Elevated Romance'. Thanks! **

* * *

**Chapter 10**

Troy walked into school Monday morning with a disheartened look on his face. For the first time, he hadn't seen Gabriella at all on the weekend. On Saturday night, he came home exhausted and worried. He had looked all over the mall for Gabriella before getting a call from Lucille, letting him know that Gabriella was at home and didn't end up going to the mall. Troy had rushed home that night and tried to call Gabriella, but he couldn't get a hold of her on her cell phone.

* * *

_Troy flopped down onto his bed in anger as he heard the same message for what seemed like the fiftieth time that night. _

Hello? Hello? Hello? I can't hear you speak up. Just kidding, you've reached Gabriella's phone. Leave me a message and I'll get back to you.

_Normally Troy would think it was hilarious. He remembered helping Gabriella come up with that idea for her voicemail. One day at lunch, Troy got the whole gang to fall for it, as he had each of them call her phone. But Troy didn't think it was funny at the moment because he fell for it every time. _

_Troy sat up and grabbed the house phone beside his bed, dialing the Montez home. _

"_Hello." _

"_Hey Anthony, it's Troy." _

"_Hey Troy. What's up man?" _

"_Not much. Is Gabi there? I've been trying to get a hold of her, but she won't pick up her phone." _

"_I think she's asleep actually." _

"_It's only 9:00," Troy commented in disbelief. _

"_I know man. She said she wasn't feeling great, and she was gonna crash early." _

"_Okay, thanks man. Hey, if she wakes up, can you _please_ have her call me?_" _Troy asked desperately. _

"_Sure thing Troy. See you tomorrow." _

* * *

Troy hadn't ever received a call that night though, and what confused him even more is that she didn't show up to the family barbeque the next day. Troy had been told that she was spending the whole day at Taylor's house doing homework.

And to top it all off, Gabriella got a ride with Taylor to school Monday morning, even though Troy and Gabriella had been riding to school together for years.

Troy was determined to talk to Gabriella. He missed her, and he was confused as to why she was avoiding him so much. He smiled in relief as he saw Taylor and Gabriella leaned up against their lockers talking. Troy pulled his bag further up on his shoulder and walked quickly over to the two girls.

"Hey Gabi," he greeted awkwardly as he leaned down and kissed her cheek. He pulled back and looked in her eyes, and could have sworn he saw a look of pain flash in her eyes before she put on a fake smile.

"Hi Troy," she said as if nothing had happened.

"Where were you this weekend?"

"San Diego. I told you."

"I know Gabi. But what happened Saturday? You were supposed to be coming to the mall to drop off my phone? Then Sunday, you didn't come to the barbeque. And, you didn't return any of my calls this weekend."

"Troy, I'm sorry. I just got caught up doing homework all weekend. I wanted to get a jumpstart on some projects before the season really kicks in and I have no time."

Troy sighed. He was frustrated, and he could tell that something was wrong. But, since Taylor was there, he decided to wait until he could talk to Gabriella alone.

"It's alright Gabi. You're forgiven," Troy smiled and wrapped her into a hug. He frowned as he felt her stiffen slightly, and uncomfortably keep her arms at her side.

The bell rang, and Gabriella quickly wriggled out of Troy's grasp and picked up her bag, heading off to homeroom.

"Gabi, wait up!" Troy called out as he pushed past some other students in a rush to get to class. "Gabi!" Troy reached out and grabbed her shoulder, gently spinning her around.

"Yeah?" Gabriella questioned as she sighed.

"Hey, you okay? What's wrong?"

"I just have a lot on my mind Troy."

"Like what?"

"School, basketball…," Gabriella trailed off not being completely honest.

"Wanna talk about it?"

"We have class," Gabriella stated as she looked up at a clock seeing they had a minute to get to their seats.

"So?" Troy asked with a grin.

"Troy, I'm not ditching," Gabriella countered with a small grin.

"Okay, how about tonight after practice we go to our spot? Just to hang out, since we haven't done that in awhile."

Gabriella nodded before Troy pulled her into a hug. He smiled as he felt her relax slightly.

"Bolton, you better stop flirting and get to class," Katie joked as she stepped by the two into homeroom.

Troy frowned as he felt Gabriella tense up once again at the sound of Katie's voice. Gabriella removed herself from Troy's grasp.

"Come on Troy. We have like fifteen seconds," Gabriella warned as she walked towards her seat.

Troy shook his head and walked to his seat, sitting down just as the bell rang. As his homeroom teacher went over some school announcements, Troy found himself in a complete daze, his thoughts occupied with his girlfriend as he tried to figure out why things were so different with them.

* * *

Troy scratched the back of his neck nervously as he walked next to Gabriella around the lake. He could tell that she was tense. He reached for her hand and frowned as she didn't allow their fingers to interlace as normal. Troy tried to keep from getting discouraged, and instead just held her hand tightly in his grasp.

Gabriella had barely said a word since they had left school and driven to the lakes. Troy was beginning to get worried. He and Gabriella had never had problems talking to each other.

"Gabi?" Troy stopped and tried to look into her eyes.

"Hmm?" She asked as she kept her gaze on the lake to her left.

"What's bothering you?"

Gabriella could see the worry on his face, and could hear the deep concern in his voice. Frustrated with herself for letting her emotions get the better of her, she decided to shake this mood she was in.

"Ah, I just had a pretty crappy weekend. San Diego was fun, but I didn't really want to be there as long as we were. I had a lot of homework, and I have lots coming up. I don't know what possessed me to take all these AP classes."

Troy laughed and nodded in understanding, as she gave him a mock glare.

"Anyways, just all of that with basketball is getting to be a lot. I missed our family barbeque, which has only happened that one time when I was sick for a week. I'm just getting frustrated, and I miss just hanging out with you. This is the first time since our anniversary that we have been able to be alone."

"I get it Gabi. I've been bummed because we haven't been able to hang out in awhile. Even before we started dating, we always did things with just the two of us. So, how about tonight, we forget about homework for a little bit and we go have some fun?"

"And what would this fun entail?"

"When's the last time you played mini golf?" Troy asked.

"Hmm…I think last year at Tyler's birthday when I kicked your butt by five strokes."

"Oh, it's on now Montez," Troy smiled as she interlaced their fingers and the two walked back to Troy's car.

* * *

"Wow, what is that seven? You do know this is a par three right?" Gabriella laughed as Troy walked over to his golf ball and lined up.

"Quiet Montez. I told you this green pulls wickedly to the right."

"Funny, cause I didn't have any trouble."

Troy looked up and glared at his girlfriend before taking a practice swing. Stepping closer to his golf ball, he took a deep breath, and lightly tapped it towards the hole.

Gabriella burst out in laughter as the ball rimmed around the top of the cup and came off to the side, four inches from the hole.

"This is the last hole. Come on Troy. Finish before they kick us off the course," Gabriella smiled innocently as Troy glared at her.

Troy let out another deep breath as he lined up to hit the ball in.

"Oh, and no pressure. But, if you don't make this, I win," Gabriella added nonchalantly.

Troy grinned as his back was to Gabriella. He gently placed his putter on the ground and walked over to Gabriella.

"What?" She asked. "You forfeiting?"

Troy shook his head, and smiled evilly. Gabriella shrieked as Troy picked her up by the waist and threw her over his shoulder as he walked towards the pond by the last hole.

"Bolton, put me down."

"Not a bad idea," Troy joked as he walked closer to the pond's edge.

"I will kill you Bolton. Don't even think about it."

"Too late," Troy smirked as he adjusted her on his shoulder. "Now, is the taunting finished? Because if not, that pond looks awfully inviting."

"Don't you dare," Gabriella ordered.

Troy laughed and walked back over towards the hole. He gently placed her down, and grinned as she tried to look angry at him.

"Come on Gabi, I wouldn't have actually thrown you in," Troy smiled as she raised her eyebrows before once again pretending to be angry. Troy grinned and put his hands on her waist. He leaned down and placed small kisses on her right cheek, left cheek, nose, and finally on her lips. Gabriella grinned as Troy pulled away.

"Alright Bolton, sink this last put, 'cause I'm starving."

"No problem," Troy said cockily as he walked over and picked up his club. Lining up, he gently tapped the ball, smiling victoriously as it dropped in.

"Finally!" Gabriella exclaimed and turned to run inside as Troy took off after her.

After placing a pepperoni pizza on the table in between them, Troy grabbed two slices, placing one on each of their plates.

"Thanks for tonight Troy."

"No problem," Troy grinned. "We should play mini golf more often."

"You don't mind getting beat by a girl?" Gabriella instigated.

"Hey! I didn't get beat. We tied!" Troy exclaimed loudly.

"Yeah, I'm not sure how loud you want to say that. Who knows what high school students are lurking around here. We've got to make sure your reputation isn't at risk."

Troy glared at her before grabbing another piece of pizza. He looked up across the room as the door to the pizza place opened.

"Hey Jenson!"

Gabriella forced a smile upon her face as she turned around slightly to see Katie walking towards them.

"Hey guys," Katie greeted as she gave each of them a high five as she stood at the edge of the table.

"Take a seat," Troy offered as he gestured with his arm for her to sit down. Katie smiled and scooted in next to Gabriella in the booth. "So what are you doing here?"

"Picking up some pizza. Mom decided she didn't want to cook tonight. You guys?"

'We're on a date,' Gabriella thought as she begun to spin her cup around on the table, trying to get her mind off of Troy and Katie.

"We're having a night away from everything…to relax for a few hours," Troy answered.

"Sounds like fun. Hey Gabi," Katie began as she turned to face her, "what happened to you on Saturday? Troy said you were going to meet up with us."

"Oh, um, I had some homework to do," Gabriella nervously glanced down at the table.

"Yeah, homework sucks. Apparently my teachers don't understand that I have other classes plus basketball. You excited for the game Friday?"

Gabriella's face lit up at the question. Friday was the first game of the season for both the boys' and girls' teams, and in spite of everything going on, Gabriella was looking forward to the games they had coming up. Basketball was something Gabriella was very passionate about, and when she was on the court, her problems were pushed aside.

"I am pumped for the season to begin," Gabriella answered. "This weekend's game should be cake, but next Wednesday we play West. That game's gonna be tough."

"No way, you guys are gonna smoke those guys," Troy cut in. "West has got nothing on you. No way can they stop the amazing point guard we have," Troy said as he winked at Gabriella who blushed.

"Wow Bolton. So you can give compliments!" Katie joked.

"Yep," Troy beamed. "And those compliments are reserved for my beautiful girlfriend."

Gabriella blushed and put her head in her hands in attempts to mask her embarrassment. Troy grinned and pulled one hand away from her face, setting their hands on the table and lacing their fingers together.

Katie grinned at the two and looked up as her number was called. She quickly got up and retrieved her order, walking back towards the table.

"Well, I'm gonna take off otherwise my family will kill me if their pizza is cold, and it's a little ways walk back to my house."

"You walked here?" Troy questioned. "Want a ride back?"

"No, no, it's cool. You two finish up your dinner. It's not that bad of a walk."

"No, I insist. We can take this back to the house, right Gabi?" Troy looked to Gabriella who meekly nodded.

"Okay, thanks. I appreciate it."

Katie smiled as Troy grabbed her pizzas along with his own, and gave her a small hug. Gabriella felt a small tug of pain on her heart as she watched the two interact. She quickly shook the thoughts though and got up from the booth. Troy smiled at his girlfriend, and grabbed her hand, interlacing their fingers. He frowned as he felt her tense up slightly, but he decided to let it slide as he led the two girls out of the pizza place.

* * *

"Gabriella Montez for three…it's good! East High leads by fifteen. Montez is having a great start to the season, with twenty-five points, nine rebounds, and seven assists."

Gabriella ran down the court getting ready defensively as the point guard from the Hesperia team dribbled the ball up the court. As the ball was passed to another player, Gabriella sunk back a little keeping an eye on both the player with the ball, and the one she was guarding. Her player called for the ball, and Gabriella watched as the ball began to be passed. She jumped out in the passing lane poking it ahead of her a little ways, and then began running down the court.

"Stolen by Montez. And, the lay-up is good!"

Gabriella ran back down the court and looked up briefly in the corner of the gym where the boys' team was standing, waiting to come on for their game. She made eye contact with Troy who nodded proudly before giving her an encouraging smile. Gabriella grinned and got ready defensively.

After getting the rebound of the Hesperia miss, Gabriella passed the ball ahead to Katie who was running down the court ahead of everyone else. Katie caught the ball and easily laid it in.

"Nice pass Gabi," Katie told her as the two girls pounded their fists together.

Hesperia shot a desperate three pointer and missed. Katie grabbed the rebound and passed it to Gabriella with twenty seconds left. Gabriella took the ball across halfcourt and dribbled out the clock, smiling as the buzzer went off.

"And East High wins impressively 63-44. Montez led the Wildcats with a double-double with twenty-seven points, ten rebounds, and adding eight assists and three steals. And new Wildcat, Katie Jenson, had a great debut with fifteen points and thirteen rebounds, also getting a double-double. The Hesperia Tigers were led by Julie Hall with twelve points. The next game will be against East High rival West High Wednesday at 6:00. Stick around for the guys' game next everyone as East High star Troy Bolton leads the Wildcats against the Hesperia Tigers."

Gabriella finished shaking hands with the Hesperia team. She smiled, and turned towards her bench in anticipation of seeing Troy. He always came over to the bench after a game to congratulate her before taking the court. It was their pre-game ritual. Her smile quickly faded though as she saw Troy give Katie a hug. Quickly giving Katie a high-five, Troy turned and ran back over to his team leading them onto the court for warm-ups.

"Nice game Montez." Gabriella turned to see who was congratulating her. "I'm Greg Johnson from the Inland Press. Great game tonight," he said as he shook her hand.

"Thanks," Gabriella tried to smile and push aside all thoughts of Troy at the moment.

"So, can we get a comment from you on this game, and on your new force inside with Katie Jenson?"

Gabriella nodded, quickly scrambling her thoughts, making sure she didn't allow her jealous feelings of Katie to interfere with what she said.

"This game was a great start to this season. Hopefully we can keep the intensity up for the rest of the year. We also passed the ball really well in this game, which needs to continue if we are going to be successful. And Katie is a great addition to this team. We have a much stronger frontcourt this season with Katie at center."

The reporter nodded as he scrambled down some notes.

"Thank you Gabriella," he said as he shook her hand. "You sticking around for the guys' game?"

Gabriella nodded as the man smiled and turned away. "Just like always," she mumbled as she turned towards the locker room.

After taking a shower and changing, Gabriella walked back out into the gym just in time before tip-off. She glanced around at the bleachers and saw her family sitting next to the Boltons right behind the East High bench. Gabriella groaned and walked over to sit down beside her younger brother. She put on a fake smile as she received congratulations from everyone. As she watched Troy glide down the court, gracefully scoring a lay-up she smiled slightly and clapped along with the crowd. He may have hurt her, but she loved to see him in his comfortable zone on the court. It was one of the many things they had in common.

"And, that's the end of the game. The score 75-57 in East High's favor. Bolton led the Wildcats with twenty-nine points, ten assists, and seven rebounds. Chad Danforth also had an impressive game with eighteen points and eight rebounds. Next game is Wednesday at 7:30 against West High."

Troy smiled as he finished shaking hands with the other team. He turned to look towards his bench, and frowned when he didn't see Gabriella standing there with his family.

"Hey Bolton!" Troy turned and put on a fake smile. "Great game. Almost a triple-double like your girlfriend. You two amaze me."

"Thanks Katie," Troy said as she gave him a small hug. "Listen, I gotta go talk with my family, but I'll see you tomorrow."

"Hey everyone, where's Gabi?" Troy asked as he approached the Montez and Bolton families.

"Awesome game Troy!" Everyone began giving him praise for his performance in the game, but Troy didn't care.

"Uh, thanks. Hey, where's Gabi?" Troy asked hoping that she just had to run to the bathroom or something.

"She left right when the game ended," Anthony informed him.

Troy nodded as he allowed his disappointment to sink in. It was then he realized that he had never congratulated her after her game. Troy rushed over to the bench, and grabbed all of his stuff before darting out of the gym.

'How could I have been so stupid. No wonder why she didn't stick around. I screwed this up,' Troy hit his steering wheel in frustration. Pulling up to his driveway, he jumped out of his car and sprinted across the street.

Swinging his legs over her balcony, Troy rushed towards the door and felt a wave of guilt hit him as he saw his girlfriend in a daze staring at the TV as the voices of the Lakers' commentators filled the room.

Gabriella turned her attention towards her door as she heard it open. She made eye contact with the piercing blue eyes only for a second before returning her attention to the game on TV.

Troy began to hate himself even more as he saw the pain in her eyes.

"Gabi?"

Gabriella didn't respond. To some it would look like she was into the game, but she didn't even know what the score was as thoughts of pain and disappointment were racing through her mind.

Troy sighed and walked over sitting in between her and the TV.

"Gabi, I'm sorry. I can't believe I didn't congratulate you after your game."

"It's not just the lack of congratulations," Gabriella admitted. "That's only a part of it. You _never_ miss coming up to me after a game. Even if it's just a quick high-five before you have to head off to your game."

Troy hung his head in shame, as Gabriella shifted slightly so she could return her attention to the game.

Troy looked up and saw she wasn't paying attention. He reached over and grabbed the remote, turning off the TV. Placing his hands on either side of Gabriella, he finally made eye contact.

"Gabi, I'm an idiot. And a horrible boyfriend and best friend. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you. I know it's like our pre-game ritual to see each other before and after our games. And I understand your pain because I felt it when you weren't there for me."

"Troy I-," Troy put his finger over her lips.

"Don't apologize. I deserved it. I'm the one who needs to apologize. Please forgive me for messing up," Troy pleaded as he let his hand linger on her cheek.

Gabriella smiled and nodded her head, before leaning toward Troy to let their lips meet halfway. Pulling apart, Gabriella grinned as their foreheads rested together.

"Bolton?"

"Yeah?" Troy grinned.

"Turn off my Lakers' game again and die," Gabriella warned as she grabbed her remote turning the game back on.

Troy laughed and stood up. Gently pushing her forward, he sat behind her on the bed with his legs on either side of her. He then pulled her back so that her head was leaning on his chest. Interlacing their fingers on both hands, Troy placed a kiss on the top of her head as the two focused in on their favorite team.

* * *

Gabriella slumped down on the couch Wednesday night after coming home from the game. She was frustrated for many reasons, as she zoned out watching the UCLA-USC basketball game.

"Hey Gabi," Anthony greeted as he flopped down on the couch next to her. "Good game tonight."

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "Yeah, going six for twenty is an excellent shooting percentage."

"So you had a bad shooting night. You still had fourteen points and freakin thirteen assists. You led your team. You guys won by fifteen."

"Yeah, I guess. I just can't believe my shot wouldn't go in."

"Well, you still won. And, wow…Katie had a pretty awesome game huh? Twenty-five points and eighteen boards!"

Gabriella gave a weak smile at the mention of her teammate, thinking back to the evening's events.

* * *

"_Good game Montez," the West High coach congratulated patting her on the back. _

"_Thanks," Gabriella replied still frustrated with herself for her bad shooting night. _

_As she walked back to the bench, she grinned as she felt two strong arms wrap around her waist. _

"_Great game Montez!" Troy smiled and kissed her on her forehead. "Hey, don't sweat it," he continued as he read her mind, "you still had a great game. Your shot will be back next game." _

_Gabriella smiled as Troy gave her one last kiss before turning to walk over to his team. She frowned as she saw him turn back around and run up to Katie, who had her back to him. Troy almost tackled her in a hug, and Gabriella watched as the two laughed. She could hear Troy say, "Amazing job tonight", before watching him ruffle Katie's hair in laughter, and dart back onto the court. _

* * *

"Yeah, she had a great game," Gabriella mumbled.

"What's wrong?" Anthony asked sensing her frustration.

"Uh, I don't even really know," Gabriella confessed.

"I don't believe that. Come on, tell me," Anthony encouraged.

"Alright. Don't laugh okay?" Anthony nodded as he grinned at his little sister. "I've been getting a little jealous of Katie lately, and it's been bugging me."

"Why are you jealous of Katie?"

"Troy and her are getting so close. And I like her as a friend, but I can't help but feel that she may be better for Troy than me."

"Gabi, don't say that," Anthony told her strongly. "You and Troy are great together. He'd be stupid to give you up, and he knows that. Why would he want Katie over you?"

"Because Katie is everything a guy wants. She's beautiful, she dresses girlie and in style, she's athletic, she's nice, smart, funny…and she and Troy get along great."

"Gabi, don't let mom and dad get into your head. Sure, you could dress like the other girls…you could get a makeover. And more guys probably would look your way, but do you want that? Do you think Troy would be more attracted to you if you were like most other girls?"

Gabriella stared at the TV knowing the question was rhetorical.

"Just something to think about. I am going to venture a guess and say Troy is attracted to you the way you are—that he likes that you are different than most other girls. I've got to get to bed," Anthony said as he patted her knee and stood up. "Class at eight in the morning sucks."

Gabriella grinned and waved goodnight as Anthony walked upstairs. Gabriella slumped further down on the couch deep in thought about what Anthony had said.

'Yeah, Troy has liked me for who I am. But, who's to say that he wouldn't be more attracted to me if I switched some things up a bit. It wouldn't kill me to wear some different clothes and lose the hats. It's all worth it if I can keep the guy who means the most to me, right?'


	11. Chapter 11

**AN: Thank you so much everyone for reading and reviewing. It means so much to me that people are enjoying this story. I hope you like this chapter. **

**Chapter 11**

Katie and Troy walked into lunch Friday, and sat down with Chad, Taylor, Zeke, and Sharpay. They were soon joined by the rest of the gang, except for Gabriella.

Troy hadn't seen her since they had gotten to school that morning. In fact, he hadn't really talked to her since Wednesday. She had gotten distant again, and Troy began to get frustrated wondering what he was doing wrong.

"Hey guys," Chad greeted as some sandwich crumbs fell from his mouth.

"Close your mouth Chad," Taylor laughed as she rubbed his back gently.

"Hey everyone!" Katie greeted happily. "Excited it's Friday?"

Everyone nodded and looked at Troy who twirled an apple in his hand as he stared nonchalantly towards the corner of the cafeteria.

"Hey Troy?" Jason said.

"Yeah?"

"Dude, are you okay?" Jason asked seeing Troy's depressed look. Troy nodded solemnly and continued to twirl his apple.

Katie stood up from her place across from Troy and sat down next to him. When he didn't even look up at her, Katie reached over and knocked the apple out of his hand, causing it to roll off the table and underneath it.

"Bolton, you need to snap out of your daze," Katie suggested.

"Yeah, sorry. I just zone out sometimes."

"Hey," Katie said, pausing until Troy looked up at her. "She'll come around, alright?"

Troy nodded as Katie smiled and put her arm around his shoulder, giving him a friendly hug. No one noticed that at the exact moment Katie did this, a brown-eyed brunette rushed out the cafeteria doors she had just entered, and headed towards the gym to go and let out all her emotions.

Gabriella walked up to her locker later that day after practice, trying to hurry so that she wouldn't run into any of her friends. As she filled her backpack with the correct books, she turned to see Troy walking towards her with Katie by his side.

Troy's face lit up slightly when he saw Gabriella.

Troy smiled as he leaned down and kissed Gabriella lightly on the cheek, before pulling her into a warm hug. Gabriella felt herself melting into his embrace, before tensing once again.

"Hi beautiful. You ready to go?" Troy asked.

Gabriella hesitated as she looked from Troy to Katie.

"Uhh, I think I'm going to catch a ride with Sharpay," Gabriella responded nervously.

Troy gave her a look of concern. "You sure Gabi? It's not like it's out of the way or anything to take you home," Troy said humorously trying to get Gabriella to talk to him like she normally would.

Gabriella let a small smile escape before shaking her head. "No Troy, it's cool. I told Sharpay I'd help her with a paper she's struggling with. I'll see you later."

"You sure?" Troy pushed. "You've been riding with Taylor all week. You don't want a ride? I can take you to Sharpay's place?"

"Really, it's fine Troy. I've just been busy this week. I gotta run though."

"Alright," Troy said trying to sound okay, but it was obvious he was hurt, "I'll call you later, okay?"

"Sounds great Troy. Bye Katie," Gabriella waved before walking off towards the theater to meet Sharpay.

As she was walking away, Gabriella could hear Troy and Katie talking.

"Well, you need a ride?"

"That'd be great. My mom said she'd pick me up, but she's probably having too much fun hanging out with your mom to remember," Katie said, gaining a small laugh from Troy as their moms always seemed to be together.

"You're probably right. Well, grab your stuff, and let's go," Troy said as he stared off watching Gabriella turn the corner in the distance.

Gabriella wiped away a small tear as she approached the theater. She couldn't remember a time in her life that she had cried so much, as she recalled the past few weeks. She was going to meet up with Sharpay in the hopes that she could get some advice about her current situation. She was worried that if she talked to Taylor, it would get to Chad, and then back to Troy.

'Maybe I should just not worry about it, and forget about talking to Sharpay. This is a stupid idea anyways. If Troy's going to eventually leave me, there probably isn't much I can do about it anyways,' Gabriella thought as she pushed open the theater doors walking towards the stage.

"Gabi!" Sharpay yelled startling Gabriella and pulling her out of her thoughts.

"Sorry. I was just thinking and not paying attention."

"No problem. Sorry to yell, you just weren't responding. Deep in thought about a certain blue-eyed basketball captain?" Sharpay questioned with interest as she grinned.

"Um, sort of. Listen, Sharpay, can I get a ride home?"

"Sure, but don't you usually get one with Troy?"

"Normally, yeah."

Sharpay was going to question her further, but decided to leave it until they got in the car.

"So, tell me Gabi….why aren't you riding home with Troy?" Sharpay asked as the two buckled their seatbelts.

"I need to talk with you, if possible," Gabriella admitted quietly as she stared out the window.

"Sure. Chats with the girls are my favorites," Sharpay said happily trying to cheer Gabriella up.

Gabriella forced a smile upon her face. "Thanks Shar. Oh, and by the way…if Troy asks, I am helping you on a paper."

"Gabi, why are you lying to Troy? What's going on?"

"I didn't want to lie; I hate lying to Troy. In my whole life, I've only lied to him a couple of times. But, I needed to talk with someone, and I didn't want Troy to know that's what I am doing."

"Okay, but you should really tell him the truth at some point," Sharpay encouraged as Gabriella nodded her head. "So, time to spill. What's been going on?"

Gabriella took a deep breath.

"As you know, I'm not good at these types of talks…especially with girls. But the guys can't keep their mouths shut, so I decided to come to you, hoping it won't get back to Troy."

Sharpay nodded and motioned for Gabriella to continue.

"Alright. The thing is, is that I have sort of had this issue with low self-esteem for awhile. I mean, I dress and act more like a guy than a girl most of the time, and up until Troy, I hadn't had a guy look my way even once. Now, I love my parents…and I hope you don't lose any respect for them after I share this…but they haven't been the most encouraging in this area. In fact, they add fuel to the fire, often making it much worse."

Gabriella continued to share about past situations—how her parents had disapproved of the way she dressed, talked, and acted.

"And then, I started dating Troy. And, things were great. I thought the issue had finally gone away. Troy is the hottest guy in school—he's the basketball captain, football star, he's popular," Sharpay smiled as Gabriella talked about Troy with such admiration and love in her voice. "And, things were going great for a few weeks. My parents hadn't said anything about my style and how I act. But, then a few weeks ago, they brought the subject up again one night after having dinner with Troy's family and Katie's family. My parents flat out said that if I didn't start changing some things about me, Troy might just leave me for someone else, like Katie."

"So that's why you started to distance yourself?" Sharpay asked, somewhat dumbfounded at how Gabriella's parents could say such things.

"Well, yeah. I was hurt by my parents. And, I just started worrying that Troy might decide Katie, or someone else, would fit him better."

"Gabi, Troy wouldn't ever hurt you like that."

"I know Troy wouldn't ever cheat on me or anything like that. I'm not accusing him of that. But that's the other thing that's been bugging me. I'm afraid that Troy may lose interest in me because I don't look and dress beautiful enough. He's been hanging out with Katie a lot…just the two of them sometimes. And Katie has it all—she has great style, dressing all girlie at times, but yet she's funny, smart, loves sports, and she's beautiful. She has so much more to offer than me. And, I can't help but think that maybe if I looked more like the other girls, I'd have a better shot at keeping Troy. And, that's where I need your help," Gabriella finished as she nervously looked towards Sharpay hoping she'd understand what she was getting at.

"Listen, Gabi…Katie doesn't have more to offer than you do. It's the other way around. You are Troy's best friend, and you have been since you were born. I don't want to hurt you more, but you need to know that by distancing yourself like this, you are only making the situation worse. Do you know for the past few weeks that every day you're not at lunch Troy sits at the end of the table and hardly talks to any of us? Gabi, he just always looks so depressed. I have never seen that boy happier than when you two are together. His eyes light up and he can't stop smiling."

Gabriella felt tears prick her eyes at Sharpay's words. She wanted to believe her, but at this point her doubts were overpowering any truth.

"And, why do you need my help for keeping Troy?" Sharpay asked.

"Well, I was kind of hoping," Gabriella paused and sighed before mustering up the courage to ask, "I was hoping you would help me be more 'girlie'," Gabriella said the last word with a bit of distaste.

"A _makeover_?" Sharpay exclaimed shockingly as Gabriella nodded timidly. Sharpay sighed before continuing. "Look Gabi, if we gave you a makeover, Troy would think you looked beautiful…you could be wearing a potato sack, and he would still think you were the most beautiful girl on earth. I mean, Troy has had a crush on you for forever. He obviously isn't concerned with how 'girlie' you dress; otherwise, he wouldn't have fallen for you way back when. I just don't think a makeover is going to help all that much."

"But Sharpa-," Gabriella began but was cut off.

"Gabi, I get that it's hard. But, you need to come clean and tell Troy all of this. As your boyfriend and your best friend, he needs to know what you're thinking. And, I don't get it. You're the type of person who never cares what everyone else thinks. That's one of the things I love most about you, and I know Troy feels the same way. If you ever want a makeover just for you, you know I would take you shopping in a heart beat…but you have to want that for the right reasons. Not for anyone else, but for yourself. Okay?" Sharpay finished as they pulled into Gabriella's driveway.

Gabriella nodded solemnly. "Thanks Shar. I appreciate the talk and the ride home," Gabriella said as she opened her door.

"Talk to Troy," Sharpay ordered, in an encouraging way.

"I will. Thanks again," Gabriella waved and gently closed the door, before turning and walking towards her front door.

* * *

Troy and Katie had been driving for a few minutes, and Troy hadn't said a word.

"What's wrong Troy?"

"Man, I suck at hiding my emotions, huh?" Troy laughed.

"Well, when you don't talk at all for ten minutes…it kind of gives it away. I mean, normally I can't get you to shut up."

Troy shot Katie a look as she smiled sweetly.

"Come on. What's up?" Katie pushed.

"Things have gotten weird with Gabi."

"Weird, how?"

"I don't know. For the few weeks, she's just gotten distant, you know? We've had some times where things seem okay. But then there are other times that she seems to be avoiding me. She always makes excuses why she can't hang out with me…it's always basketball or homework. And on top of that…," Troy paused. "This is strange...why am I telling you all of this? You don't want to hear it. I should just talk to Chad. "

"Yeah, 'cause Chad will give you the advice you are looking for," Katie joked as Troy laughed. "Spill Troy. I can give you advice from a girl's perspective."

"She just doesn't seem as comfortable around me. Like when we hug, or do anything…she is all tense. I've known her for all of my life, and things have never been this uncomfortable. It was getting better for a few days around our anniversary, but then after that Saturday when she came back from San Diego…for the most part it has gotten all weird again."

"Have you talked to her about it?"

"Yeah, I ask her all the time if she's alright."

"Troy, she isn't going to spill her heart out to you when you just ask if she's okay. If something's wrong…you have to push her a bit. I know you guys are close, and she'll open up to you."

"Yeah, but how do I push her enough but not too much? I don't want her to get mad at me."

"Troy, you've been her best friend since diapers. You know her better than anyone else. Just go with your instincts, and let her know you're worried."

Troy nodded his head as he pulled into Katie's driveway.

"Thanks Katie."

"No problem. Call me up sometime this weekend, and we can hang out and talk about this a little more."

"Sounds good, have a good night." Troy reached out and gave her a high five before heading home.

Troy looked out his bedroom window, watching Gabriella's driveway to see when she would get home. He'd only been home for a few minutes, and even though he expected her to be awhile, he didn't want to miss her.

Troy was surprised to see Sharpay's car pull into the driveway only a few seconds later.

'Well, that was quick. Apparently she didn't need that much help,' Troy thought as he raced out his bedroom door towards the stairs.

Troy ran across the street and up the Montez driveway, knocking hurriedly on the door.

"Hi Troy," Anna greeted as she opened the door, "Gabi's upstairs."

"Thank you," Troy said as he rushed up the steps. Troy arrived outside Gabriella's bedroom, and took a deep breath before entering.

"Hey Gabi," he said as he pushed open the door.

Gabriella turned around in her computer chair, and smiled softly. "Hey Troy, what's up?"

Troy walked over towards Gabriella, and decided to just get straight to the point.

"Gabi, I'm gonna get right to the point. I wanted to talk. Look, I don't know what's going on, but I miss you. I miss us. I don't know what happened, but for the past few weeks things haven't been the same."

Gabriella shifted uncomfortably in her chair as Troy leaned against her desk, and scratched the back of his neck nervously.

"When I hug you or kiss you, you don't seem to respond. You are always so tense. I thought maybe it would go away…that maybe it was just me thinking that something was wrong. But, it's been a month almost. I'm your best friend and your boyfriend Gabi. I want to be there for you. Please tell me what's going on," Troy pleaded as he crouched down in front of her and placed his hands on her knees, looking into her eyes.

"Sorry, that was a lot," Troy said. "I just had to get it off my chest."

Gabriella smiled and tried to fight back tears, as she ran her hand through Troy's hair. She stood up and pulled him up with her, before walking over and sitting on the bed, motioning for him to sit next to her.

Gabriella took a deep breath as a battle was going on in her mind of whether or not to tell Troy what was wrong. Remembering Sharpay's advice, she decided it was time to fill Troy in on what was going on in her head.

"I miss you too Troy. And I want to tell you. I've wanted to talk to you this whole time. I'm just scared," Gabriella admitted quietly.

Troy placed his hand over hers and intertwined their fingers. "Gabi, I'm here for you…always have been, always will be," Troy encouraged as he rubbed his thumb over her knuckles in a soothing manner.

Gabriella smiled gratefully before beginning, as she took a deep breath.

"Okay, you know about a month ago after that dinner with your family, my family, and Katie's family?" Troy nodded. "Well like I told you before, my parents and I had a discussion that night."

"About how you dress…" Troy filled in.

"Yeah. Well, it was about a little more than just that," Gabriella admitted as Troy got a concerned look on his face.

"My parents started asking me about our relationship…about how it was going. Well, after a little bit, they brought up the ever famous point that I dress and act differently than most girls. But then, they took it further telling me that if I don't think about changing myself to be more feminine, then I may lose you," Gabriella finished weakly as her voice cracked.

Troy looked at Gabriella feeling a wave of different emotions—feelings of sadness, anger, frustration. He pushed his anger aside for the moment and put his arm around Gabriella, pulling her into his lap.

"Baby, don't cry," Troy said as he gently wiped away her tears with the pads of his thumbs. Gabriella buried her head in the crook of his neck, and Troy began to run his fingers through her hair. "Gabi, I would _never_ leave you. Sure, you don't dress like other girls. But, that's okay, because I love you the way you are. Okay?"

Troy smiled as he felt Gabriella nod into the crook of his neck.

"Hey," Troy said as he gently pulled her out to face him. He put his fingers under her chin and held her there, looking into her eyes. "I fell for you a long time ago. I love your parents, but they're stupid to say those things and make you feel this way, alright? They don't know that I don't care about those things. I think you are so beautiful, and I love you for everything about you."

Gabriella smiled softly as she nodded her head as much as she could, since Troy still had a hold of her chin.

"I love you too."

"Good," Troy said as he leaned in and gently kissed her. He smiled as he felt her respond to the kiss.

"So we're good right? Is that everything?"

Gabriella suddenly felt really nervous again, knowing she hadn't told him she had lied to him, or told him about her worries about Katie.

She shook her head as Troy looked at her expectantly.

"I feel really horrible, but I wasn't completely honest with you today. I didn't have to help Sharpay with a paper today. I just needed to talk with her. I've been excluding myself so much from everyone, and in the process I've pushed you away. I'm sorry I lied to you," Gabriella finished as Troy could sense the fear in her.

"It's okay Gabi. I forgive you, and I understand you needed to talk to someone. I wish you would have come to me first awhile ago, but I'm glad we talked now. Just please don't push me away again, alright?"

Gabriella smiled in relief and nodded her head, deciding to not confront Troy about Katie. There had been a battle going on in her head for weeks now. She didn't want to be that jealous girlfriend, and she felt that even though Katie was somewhat close with Rachel, she would never try to steal Troy like Rachel would. She wanted to give Katie the benefit of the doubt, and she knew there was no real reason to worry about Troy and Katie. Gabriella was Troy's girlfriend, and so far all she had seen was a close friendship between Katie and Troy. Nothing more.

Troy grinned and captured her lips softly.

"By the way, '_baby_'?" Gabriella asked cheekily.

"Yeah," Troy responded grinning. "I was testing it out; what'd you think?"

"Honestly, I always thought it would be weird, and I would hate it. But, I kind of liked it."

"Good," Troy said as he kissed her cheek.

"Just, don't expect me to say it to you. I don't think I could seriously say that," Gabriella grinned.

Troy laughed and then scooted back, so that his head rested on her pillows, as he pulled her to lay down with him. Troy placed his arm around her waist, as Gabriella laid her head on his chest, snuggling closer and intertwining their fingers. Shortly after, Troy looked down and saw that Gabriella had fallen asleep. Looking at the clock, he realized he had to get home.

Troy gently untangled himself from her, and grabbed a blanket from the end of her bed before covering her with it. He then leaned down and placed a kiss on her forehead before walking over to the desk and leaving a note for her.

* * *

Gabriella woke up the next morning, feeling somewhat cold since Troy was no longer cuddled up with her.

As she sat up stretching, she glanced over at her desk and saw Troy had left her a note. She smiled and walked over to her desk, picking up the note and reading what Troy had written.

_Hi gorgeous,_

_I had to go home and do some homework before bed. I'm glad we're okay now. I can't wait to see you in the morning. I'll come by at some point. I love you—never forget it. _

_Troy_

Gabriella grinned, reading the note once again before pulling a box out from under her bed, and placing the note in it along with the many other items that were really special to her that she had saved throughout the years of knowing Troy.

Just as she finished, she heard a tapping come from her balcony window. A grin immediately surfaced on her face since she knew who it was.

"Hey Gabi," Troy greeted as she opened the door.

"Hi," she responded before Troy leaned down and gave her a gentle kiss.

"So what are you up to today?"

"My mom wants us to have a 'girls' day. Just me, her, and Emilee," Gabriella said with apparent reluctance in her voice.

Troy laughed knowing how much she hated times set aside to just hang out with girls, since they rarely did things that interested her.

"Why?" Gabriella asked. "What are you up to today?"

"Nothing really. I've just been craving Jamba Juice, so I was going to see if you wanted to join me."

"Dang it! Jamba sounds amazing, but I told my mom we'd go soon. Rain check?"

"Of course. Call me when you get finished up with your ultra-amazing 'girls day'," Troy replied with a grin.

"Shut up Troy," she laughed. "I'll call you when we get back."

Gabriella smiled as Troy kissed her on the cheek before walking out the balcony and climbing down the tree, all the while shaking her head, wondering why he didn't just walk out the front door.

* * *

Katie woke up Saturday morning with a lot on her mind. Since moving to Southern California with her family a few weeks before, she had been adjusting rather well to her new school. She had made the varsity girls' basketball team, she was doing great in all of her classes, and she had made a lot of new friends.

She was still bothered by the fact that those group of friends never really interacted.

She also couldn't stop thinking about how Gabriella had distanced herself from everyone, and how hurt Troy seemed to be from their talk the night before.

Deciding she wanted to talk with someone and get some more advice, she walked over to Rachel's house and knocked on the front door.

"Hey Katie!" Rachel greeted as she opened the front door. "Come on in."

"Thanks. What are you up to?"

"I was just practicing a new routine for cheer. You?"

"I was actually wondering if we could talk. I got a lot on my mind, and I need help sorting it all out."

"Sure. What about?" Rachel asked as the two took a seat on the couch in the front room.

"Troy and Gabriella."

"Oh," Rachel replied, trying to keep her anger from surfacing.

"Yeah, see the thing is…Troy and I have been spending a lot of time together lately. And, during my first week here, I was getting close with Gabriella too. But now, she rarely talks with me, except for on the court. I never pinned her as being the jealous type, but I am not sure what else to think."

Rachel listened with interest as she suddenly realized she had a new opportunity to split up Troy and Gabriella. She decided that if she encouraged Katie to spend time with Troy and be there for him, then she could work on getting Gabriella out of the picture.

"Well, you know, I wouldn't sweat it. So you're spending time with Troy. If Gabriella has an issue with it, that's her problem, not yours."

"Yeah, but we were all spending time together for awhile there. I mean, I don't like Troy in that way…I don't think she knows that."

"Doesn't surprise me. I told you Gabriella is jealous of me." Katie remembered her conversation with Rachel about a month back.

"Yeah, but why would she be jealous of you? Gabriella's never seemed to be the jealous type of girlfriend. I mean, did something happen between you and her, or you and Troy?" Katie probed trying to get an answer to the one question that had been bugging her for weeks.

Rachel ignored her question, knowing if she came clean, she'd lose her friendship with Katie and more importantly, the possibility of using Katie to split up Troy and Gabriella.

"Katie, Troy obviously needs someone right now if he's having relationship problems. He's grown attached to being around you, and it seems like you are the person he's chosen to talk to—not Chad, Zeke, or anyone of his other friends."

Katie noticed that Rachel switched the subject, and was going to say something when her phone buzzed indicating she had a text message.

_Hey. Gabi's going out with her mom. Wanna go grab Jamba juice?_

"I guess you're right," Katie responded somewhat dejectedly as she was still frustrated at her loss of friendship with Gabriella, and with the fact that her friends wouldn't tell her what happened between Troy, Gabriella, and Rachel.

Katie quickly texted back, letting Troy know she would meet him in ten minutes.

"Aright, well I'm gonna go grab some Jamba juice with Troy. I'll let you get back to practicing. You want anything?"

"I'll get some later. Hey, how about I meet you there around noon, since it's almost 11:00 now?"

"Sounds great. I'll see you then!" Katie replied before rushing out the door.

Rachel smirked slightly as she thought of the current situation and saw some hope in separating Troy and Gabriella. Now, she couldn't wait till school on Monday, so that she could put her plan into action of getting Gabriella out of the picture and ultimately getting Troy.

* * *

Troy sat in Jamba Juice, a lot happier than he had been in weeks. He looked up and smiled as he saw Katie walk through the door.

"Hey! How's it going?" Katie asked as she gave Troy a high-five and sat down.

"Excellent," Troy replied not even trying to hide the smile on his face.

"Really? Well, someone's happy. What happened?"

"Let's get some smoothies first; then I'll tell you. What do you want?"

Troy ordered their smoothies and paid for them before sitting back down.

"Here," she said handing him five dollars.

"Nope," Troy grinned as he pushed it back at her and put his hands in his pockets.

"Come on, Troy!"

"No way. I'm in a good mood. Take advantage, and accept my gift."

"Gift? For what?"

"Well, you've been a great friend for the past month or so, and have been my source of wisdom with Gabi."

Troy smiled again as he thought of the night before and how he and Gabriella were back to normal.

"Hold up! You can't stop smiling! What happened?"

"I just talked to her finally. She let me know what was going on, and now we're good again."

"That's awesome Troy. I'm so happy for you two. Hopefully the three of us could hang out soon."

"Yep, hopefully. Maybe you could finally ask Josh out, and we could all go out," Troy laughed as she blushed and then threw her straw wrapper at him.

"Troy! Don't say stuff like that. What if he hears somehow?"

"Oh please. Look around; there is no one here from school. You've liked him for a month, just go for it!" Troy encouraged.

"Come on. I'm not gonna ask him out. That'd be weird."

Josh was one of the top athletes in school. He played wide receiver on the football team, and was an All-American player. Katie had been interested in him for awhile, ever since she met him her first day at lunch with Rachel. She had been sitting next to him at lunch for weeks, and the two had been flirting. But neither had made a move yet.

"Katie, he would say yes if you asked him. I know Josh…he may seem like he's really good with girls, but he has little experience in asking girls out. I'm just saying it's about that time to at least drop a hint or something."

"Listen to you…Mr. 'I had a crush on my best friend for years and just said something a couple months ago'," Katie remarked cheekily.

Troy pretended to be hurt before laughing, "True, true. Well, take a lesson from me and don't wait forever."

"Alright. Thanks Troy," Katie said as Troy nodded and patted her hand gently on the table in a reassuring, friendly manner.

Just then, their smoothies were finished and they both stood up to walk towards the counter.

"Hey Katie," Troy began.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for helping me out with Gabi," Troy said sincerely as he wrapped her in a hug. "I owe you big time."

"Yeah you do," Katie grinned as they walked back to their table. "I'm holding you to that."

* * *

Anna, Gabriella, and Emilee had just finished shopping at the mall, picking up a few things. Gabriella was holding Emilee as the three walked out towards their car.

"Hey mom, I'm going to go grab a smoothie real quick at Jamba Juice. Is that alright?"

"Sure sweetie. We'll be in the car," Anna replied as she took Emilee into her arms.

Gabriella smiled and walked over towards Jamba Juice; ever since Troy mentioned it in the morning, she had a craving for it. As she was about to walk in, she smiled as she saw Troy sitting at a table in the corner. Her smile faltered somewhat though as she saw Katie there, but she reminded herself she wasn't going to be the jealous girlfriend. She was about to open the door when someone tapped on her shoulder. Turning around, she came face-to-face with none other than Rachel.

"Hi Gabriella. What are you doing here?" Rachel asked in the sweetest voice she could muster up.

"Uh, just getting a smoothie. You?"

"I'm here to meet Katie," Rachel got an evil look in her eye but quickly put back on a sweet face. "I thought you would be here to see Troy."

"I didn't know he would be here," Gabriella replied quickly, wanting to get away from Rachel.

"Really? Well, he and Katie seem to be hanging out a lot, huh? You know, they seem really great together…too bad for her he's taken. Although, maybe she has a shot. She obviously has a lot more to offer him," Rachel finished, saying the last part as if it was no big deal.

Gabriella suddenly felt all the anxiety return as she glanced over at Troy and Katie, and saw them laughing and smiling at each other. Her heart dropped as she saw Troy touch Katie's hand and smile sweetly at her.

"I mean, those two have some real chemistry. Look at that. I think she likes him actually…you have some real competition Montez," Rachel continued as Gabriella just stared at the two, trying to block out what Rachel was saying.

Gabriella felt the tears come once again as she saw Troy hug Katie and whisper something in her ear. It seemed to her like their friendship was getting a lot closer than she had suspected.

"See what I mean? Chemistry." Rachel smiled as she saw a tear fall down Gabriella's cheek.

Not able to say anything, in fear that she would burst into more tears, Gabriella turned and ran towards her car. She couldn't bear to hear or listen to anything more, and suddenly a smoothie was the last thing on her mind.

"No smoothie?" Anna asked her daughter as she got into the passenger seat.

"Nope. There were too many people. I'm fine without one," Gabriella replied monotonously as tears threatened to fall.

Anna nodded her head and started driving home as Gabriella quietly sat there with millions of thoughts running through her head—the main one being that she was in danger of losing the best thing that ever happened to her.

* * *

"Hey guys!" Rachel greeted happily as she entered Jamba Juice with a satisfactory grin on her face.

She wrapped Katie in a hug, and tried to give Troy one, but he quickly stuck out his hand in an awkward manner to shake hers. Rachel smiled and pulled up a chair.

"So what are you two up to?"

"Just talking," Katie replied.

"About?" Rachel probed.

"Nothing."

"Josh."

Katie and Troy replied at the same time. Katie shot Troy a look as he began to laugh.

"Come on. I know Rachel knows about your crush."

"Sure, almost everyone does," Rachel replied.

Katie hung her head embarrassed before she stood up to go to the restroom.

Troy sat there extremely uncomfortable. He always tried to be a nice guy, but he was having trouble sitting alone with Rachel knowing everything she had done to Gabriella. He was okay when Katie was there too, but now that she had gotten up, he didn't want to be there anymore.

"So Troy, how's the season coming along?" Rachel asked as she scooted closer to Troy so that their legs were touching.

Troy reacted quickly and almost jumped back as he pushed his chair away from the table.

"Uh, I'm gonna go," Troy said as he stood up and threw away his trash. "Tell Katie I'll talk to her later."

"You sure? You can stay," Rachel said sweetly.

"No, I got to get home. Bye." Troy said as he took off before Rachel could get another word in.

Rachel smiled as she realized her plan was now working.

"What are you smiling about?" Katie asked as she took a seat.

"Nothing. It's just this smoothie is amazing."

Katie laughed. "Where's Troy?"

"Oh, he went home. He said he'd talk to you later," Rachel replied as Katie nodded and the two began to talk about other things.

* * *

Gabriella walked into her room and collapsed on her bed, gently wiping away some tears that had fallen. She had been down the past few weeks, but right now she felt worse than before. She knew she wasn't ready to go down without a fight, and let her best friend and boyfriend slip away.

But, could she really do it, she wondered. She heard what Sharpay had said, and knew that Sharpay was right. Gabriella wasn't the type of person to change her appearance for others. And Troy said he loved her for who she was, and that he thought she was beautiful.

'Does he really though? He's a guy, and I know he's into physical appearances.'

Gabriella sat up and looked at herself in the mirror on her dresser. Her face was flushed and her eyes were bloodshot. She was wearing a Wildcat t-shirt and her long, black basketball shorts, and on her head was a Lakers' championship hat.

'Who am I kidding? Who is he kidding? Everyone is right. How could Troy or any guy ever think this is beautiful?'

She pulled out her cell phone and entered a text message.

_Hey Shar. You still up for that makeover we talked about?_

Gabriella picked up her phone as it vibrated seconds later indicating she received a message.

_Really!? Yeah!! How about tomorrow around noon?_

Gabriella quickly typed a response before putting her head in her hands wondering if she was doing the right thing—the one thing she had been so against for as long as she could remember.

_Sounds great Shar. I'll see you then. _


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Gabriella crossed her arms as she looked with distaste at the object in her driveway.

"Sharpay, you have got to be kidding me. There is no way I am riding in _that_."

"Gabi, come on. You know you really, really want to ride in my brand new car," Sharpay smiled as she looked at her car with pride.

"Actually I really _really_ don't," Gabriella huffed.

"How can you not? It's beautiful. It's a new Mustang. I have an ipod input…you have to see how cool this is. Oh, and the cup holders are so cool…they pop out when you press this button."

"Awesome Shar. You know, we could ride in my car. It gets better miles to the gallon, and don't we want to conserve and help the environment?" Gabriella argued.

Sharpay looked towards Gabriella's white '98 Honda Accord and rolled her eyes.

"Come on Gabi. We can even drive with the top down," Sharpay enticed.

"No way! I would prefer to keep the top up if I'm going to ride in _that_."

"Gabriella Anne Montez! Get in this car right now! We only have five hours till you have to be back for your family barbeque. Now, get in!"

"Fine, geez," Gabriella muttered as she walked towards the car. "The Ice Queen lives."

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that," Sharpay said as she got into her car. "You can get in you know…it won't hurt you," Sharpay told Gabriella, who was still standing outside the car.

"You don't know that."

"Get in."

"Are you sure you don't want to take my car? I have a tape deck with a CD Adapter. How cool is that? It's something you don't see everyday anymore. It could be like going to a museum," Gabriella said temptingly.

"Uh, I _hate_ museums," Sharpay mumbled. "Come on Gabriella before I leave you here."

"Sounds good to me!" Gabriella said cheerfully as she turned to walk back inside.

"Oh no you don't! You said you wanted a makeover, and we are giving you one. Now, let's go," Sharpay commanded as she grabbed Gabriella's hand and pulled her towards the car, opening the door, and shoving her inside.

"It's pink!" Gabriella cried out.

"Isn't it beautiful?" Sharpay asked excitedly.

"No. It's the color of pepto bismol. It is a disgrace to all cars. How can someone even paint a _Mustang_ pink? They should be arrested for that."

"Aren't we happy today? I'll just ignore that comment. You ready?"

"No," Gabriella muttered.

"Too bad. Here we go!" Sharpay said cheerfully as the sounds of Britney Spears blared through the speakers.

"You've got to be kidding me," Gabriella whined as they pulled out of the driveway.

Gabriella looked up as the top started to go down.

"Oh, heck no! Sharpay it's bad enough I'm in a pink car, listening to Britney Spears, on my way to get a makeover. Why does the rest of the world need to know?" Gabriella slumped down in her seat, in an attempt to make herself unnoticeable.

"Shush you. This is gonna be so much fun! Eeek!" Sharpay shrieked. "I'm so excited," she continued as she started clapping.

"Two hands on the wheel, please," Gabriella ordered. "Uh, I should have asked Taylor. What was I thinking?"

"Nope, you asked the best," Sharpay informed her. "So, Gabi," Sharpay turned down the volume and ignored Gabriella who muttered a 'thank God'.

"Yeah?"

"Why'd you change your mind? You talked to Troy right?"

Gabriella froze. She was hoping Sharpay wouldn't question her about her motives for getting a makeover.

"Um, yeah. We talked."

"And?" Sharpay probed.

"And, he said he loved me the way I was."

"Awww! That is SO cute," Sharpay squealed.

Gabriella grinned and rolled her eyes.

"So you told him about Katie?"

Gabriella froze once again. 'Crap, what do I say?'

"Uh, I decided to skip that."

"Gabriella," Sharpay said disapprovingly.

"I just decided that it's my own stupid feelings. Troy and Katie are friends, nothing more," Gabriella said as she knew she was still trying to convince herself of that fact.

"Gabi, if it's bugging you, you should really tell him about that."

"Maybe I will. I just don't want to make him feel bad about spending time with someone he gets along with so well."

"Okay, well I'm sure Troy would listen if you told him, and he wouldn't get mad at you for it."

Gabriella nodded as she gazed out of the car, afraid that Sharpay may see that she was still harboring those jealous feelings.

"So you never told me. Why'd you change your mind?"

"I guess I realized I want to wear some nicer, more girlie clothes once in awhile, you know? Just to see what I'd look like, and I'm curious to see how people will react. I mean, it's not gonna kill me to change a little bit."

"Well good! And for the record, you are gorgeous the way you are. But, when we're done, you are going to be even more gorgeous," Sharpay smiled. "And, that boyfriend of yours isn't going to be able to take his eyes off of you."

"That's the point," Gabriella muttered under her breath.

* * *

"That is SO cute," Sharpay gushed. "Gabi, your hair looks so good like that. Who knew you had such beautiful hair? Uh, I would kill for hair like yours."

"Thanks Sharpay, I think," Gabriella said as she looked at her reflection in the mirror.

She had just gotten her hair trimmed slightly and styled. It still fell below her shoulders, but now her hair had a few more curls to it.

"Okay, now we have one more thing to do here," Sharpay informed her.

"And what might that be?"

Sharpay whispered something to Crystal, the hairdresser, who nodded and walked away. Sharpay turned to Gabriella and grinned.

"I don't like that look. What are you doing to me?" Gabriella demanded.

"You'll see," Sharpay grinned as Crystal came back with a few items in her hand.

Pulling the lid off of a container that was plugged into the wall, Crystal took a small stick and dipped it into the container. Gabriella's eyes widened in horror as she saw the gold dripping liquid on the stick.

"No way! Sharpay, what are you doing?"

"Just a little shaping," Sharpay mumbled as she carelessly flipped through the latest issue of People magazine.

"Shaping of what?"

"Can you lean back please?" Crystal asked politely as she reclined Gabriella's chair slightly.

Gabriella did as asked while still looking pleadingly towards Sharpay who still appeared to be engrossed in her magazine.

"Shar, why are you doing this? Please…I won't insult your car anymore."

"You know for hanging out with boys so much, and being such a tomboy, you sure are a wimp," Sharpay mumbled.

"That's hot wax," Gabriella tightened her grip on the arm rest as Crystal brought the stick with warm liquid towards her face. Feeling the hot wax being dabbed gently around her eyebrows, Gabriella felt herself grow more nervous.

"Okay, here we go," Crystal said excitedly as Gabriella rolled her eyes.

'I swear it's like Sharpay's even more evil twin.' Gabriella braced herself as she felt a small piece of paper being pressed onto her face.

"Just relax," Crystal encouraged as she lightly rubbed her arm. "It doesn't hurt that bad. And, it's over really quickly. Trust me."

Gabriella felt herself relax momentarily.

"AHH!" Gabriella yelled as the paper was quickly ripped off her face leaving a painful, stinging sensation.

"Wimp," Sharpay mumbled as she looked up for a second.

"I'm gonna kill you Sharpay."

"Love you too Gabs."

Gabriella winced in pain before shifting in her seat to sit up.

"Oh, we're not finished sweetie," Crystal said as she gently pushed on Gabriella's shoulder encouraging her to lie back down. "Just a few more times."

"_A few_!?" Gabriella exclaimed. "Crap, why did I agree to this?"

Sharpay smirked as she read the latest news about Brad and Angelina.

Ten minutes later, Gabriella walked out of the small salon after paying the cashier.

"I still can't believe I had to pay for that torture. I look like I got freakin' sunburned in circles around my eyebrows."

"Come on, we have four hours left to get you some clothes, shoes, make-up, accessories, and to get you back and dressed. We're running out of time," Sharpay grabbed Gabriella's hand pulling her into the mall.

Gabriella dropped her hand. "Sharpay, never grab my hand in public," Gabriella said as she looked around embarrassed.

"Oh come on, you let Troy grab your hand all the time."

"Yeah, 'cause it's Troy. I don't hold hands with girls. It's too weird."

Sharpay rolled her eyes in amusement.

"So where do you normally go to buy clothes?" Sharpay asked as she surveyed the many stores they were walking by.

"Foot Locker, Champs Sporting Goods, Sports Authority…"

"Gabi, Gabi, Gabi," Sharpay muttered, taking a deep breath. "Where do you buy clothes other than sports clothes? Like pants for instance. Where do you get yours?"

"Well other than basketball warm-ups, the only pants I get are Dickies or jeans from wherever."

Sharpay sighed out of frustration. "Ugh, you're no help."

Gabriella grinned at Sharpay's frustration.

"Oooo, let's go in here," Sharpay delightfully said as she pulled Gabriella into a teen girls clothing store."

Gabriella drug her feet as she gazed around the store, one she normally wouldn't be caught dead in.

"Gabi! This is perfect for you!" Sharpay squealed happily shoving a bright pink tank top at her, causing Gabriella to quickly take a side step to avoid her.

"No way! Nah-uh, no way will I _ever_ wear pink."

"Oh, shush. It looks good on you! It matches your skin tone, see?" Sharpay held the pink shirt up once again, this time putting it next to her arm.

Gabriella looked like she was going to throw up. "Shar, there is no way pink matches my skin tone. Me and the color pink…we're enemies. It isn't happening. I draw the line at pink."

"Fine," Sharpay sighed much to Gabriella's delight.

Sharpay continued to browse through the shirts, as Gabriella sulked behind.

"Oh my gosh! This one is perfect! It's so cute, look Gabs!" Sharpay pulled the shirt off the rack and held it up.

"Nope."

"What? Why?"

"It has _glitter_," Gabriella said with disgust.

"And what may I ask is wrong with glitter?"

"Glitter is of the devil."

"Please explain," Sharpay said, slightly offended.

"Glitter gets everywhere. I touch _that_, and then it doesn't wash off. I dry my hands on a towel…it's on the towel. If by some miracle, I get it off…next time I dry my hands, it's back on. It's evil and it's a nuisance."

"You can barely see the glitter. It's only a little bit," Sharpay pursued.

"Nope. I draw the line at glitter."

"I thought you drew the line at pink."

"I changed my mind. It's now drawn at glitter."

Sharpay rolled her eyes, and dramatically placed the shirt back on the rack.

Five stores, seven outfits, a bag of makeup, and two and a half hours later, Gabriella and Sharpay began walking towards the exit.

"I still can't believe I actually own two dresses and three skirts now."

"What are you talking about Gabi? You own those dresses from dances."

"Yeah, that's different. Those you wear like once. These are 'everyday' clothes."

Sharpay rolled her eyes in amusement, before glancing to the right and darting into an accessories store.

"Sharpay, what are you doing? You _promised_ we were done for the day."

"Yes, but that was before I realized we have not completed the ensemble. You need a purse, and you need jewelry."

"I'm gonna die," Gabriella sighed, slumping down onto a bench inside the store.

"You're not going to die. Come on," Sharpay pulled her up. "We're almost done."

Reluctantly, Gabriella stood up and followed Sharpay around the store.

"I can't believe you don't own a purse," Sharpay said as she handed Gabriella a small black purse they had agreed on.

"Well, I don't need one."

"Where do you put all your stuff?"

"My pockets," Gabriella replied simply as if it was no big deal much to Sharpay's annoyance.

Sharpay led the two over towards the jewelry section, and began to spin the jewelry stands around, stopping a few times to look at a specific item.

"Yay! These are perfect!" Sharpay squealed as she pulled some silver small hoop earrings off the stand. "What do you think Gabs?"

"Um, they're alright?" Gabriella said in more of a question than a statement.

"Here, let's see," Sharpay took the liberty of reaching out and pushing aside Gabriella's hair.

Gabriella held her breath as Sharpay got a questioning look on her face.

"Gabi, where are the holes in your ears?"

"I prefer my ears to be hole-less," Gabriella replied nonchalantly.

"What!? You have never had your ears pierced?" Gabriella shook her head. "How? Every girl gets her ears pierced. Mine were pierced when I was two."

"My parents didn't pierce mine when I was a kid, and I just never wanted to get them pierced."

"Why? All girls' ears should be pierced."

"God made my ears without holes…I don't know about you. If they were supposed to have holes in them, I think He would have made them that way," Gabriella smiled as Sharpay huffed in annoyance.

"Well, I am gonna make them that way," Sharpay said as she grabbed Gabriella by the arm and pulled her towards the counter.

"How can I help you two ladies today?" the middle age clerk asked from behind the counter.

"She needs her ears pierced," Sharpay answered as she dramatically pulled on Gabriella's earlobe to point it out.

Gabriella pushed Sharpay's hand off her ear. "Um, no I don't. Sharpay listen…I appreciate all your help today, but don't you think I've been through enough pain?" Gabriella pleaded.

"Gabi, either you let these people pierce your ears now, or I come in your room in the middle of the night and pierce them myself. Your choice."

"So, how long does this take?" Gabriella asked the clerk sweetly as Sharpay smiled victoriously.

* * *

Gabriella glanced over at her clock and saw that it was 12:30, meaning she had thirty minutes till she had to be downstairs for the barbeque.

"Gabi, that dress looks so beautiful on you!" Sharpay gushed as Gabriella walked out of the bathroom into her bedroom in a light blue sundress.

"Thanks Sharpay," Gabriella said with a hint of shyness.

"I'm so happy you decided to do this Gabi. Seriously you look amazing! Not that you didn't look amazing before, it's just now you-," Sharpay rambled on as Gabriella cut her off.

"I know what you mean Shar…and thanks." Gabriella and Sharpay exchanged smiles. "Uh, my ears hurt. How'd I let you talk me into this?" Gabriella pulled on her ear slightly looking at her reflection in the mirror, as Sharpay grinned.

"Okay, let's get your makeup done, and get you downstairs. I want to see Troy's reaction."

Gabriella smiled, reminding herself of why she was doing this. 'I mean, this is Troy right? I can't lose him. I have to do this, even if it is something I thought I'd never do.'

Twenty minutes later, Sharpay finished putting on the final touches.

"And there we go. Take a look," Sharpay encouraged as she gestured towards the mirror in the corner of the room.

Gabriella stood up and walked over to her mirror. She looked at her reflection in amazement.

"Wow."

"Do you like it?" Sharpay asked.

"Yeah, it's just…I look different. You think Troy will like it?"

"Are you kidding me? That boy will love it. His jaw will be on the ground all day. But the real question is, do you like it? That's the reason we did all of this."

Gabriella nodded, feeling slightly guilty for lying to one of her best friends.

"I like it. It just takes some getting used to."

"Well, I think you look gorgeous. Hot even," Sharpay exclaimed as Gabriella blushed. "Come on, let's go," Sharpay smiled in encouragement and opened Gabriella's bedroom door.

* * *

"Hi Anna!" Troy exclaimed as he walked into the kitchen.

"Hi Troy, how are you today?" Anna turned and gave Troy a hug.

"I'm good. How about you?"

"Doing fine. Thanks for asking Troy."

Troy grinned.

"So is Gabi back?"

"Yeah she got back around noon. She's upstairs with Sharpay, but they should be down soon."

"Can't go without your girlfriend for more than a few hours?"

Troy laughed as Sharpay walked into the kitchen.

"Nope," he replied seriously.

"Awww!" Sharpay squealed as Troy rolled his eyes.

"Hey mom, Emilee just woke up, so I brought her down."

Troy grinned at the sound of his girlfriend's voice. He spun around and suddenly was speechless, as his breath hitched at the back of his throat.

Troy stared as Gabriella grinned and blushed, before handing Emilee over to Anna.

"Wow…um…you look incredible."

"Really? You think so?"

Sharpay held in a squeal as she watched the two who didn't seem to notice that there was anyone else in the room.

Troy smiled as he nodded his head.

"I know so. You look gorgeous," Troy walked closer. "Beautiful," he added as he cupped her face with one hand, gently stroking her cheek before leaning down and capturing her lips.

The two were caught up in the moment, and broke apart suddenly at the sound of someone clearing their throat.

Troy turned and glared at Aaron and Adam as Gabriella blushed.

"Come on," Troy said as he interlaced their fingers. "Let's go somewhere where these bozos won't interrupt us."

"Bye lovebirds!" Sharpay called out.

Troy led Gabriella out into her backyard, up into the gazebo. Glancing around and noticing that everyone else was inside, Troy smiled and gently pressed Gabriella into the railing. Placing one hand on her waist, as his other was on the railing, Troy leaned down and captured her lips.

"You are so beautiful," Troy whispered against her lips, as they pulled apart.

Gabriella smiled as she played with the hair on the back of Troy's neck.

"Thank you. I'm glad you think so."

Troy smiled and kissed her forehead affectionately, before sitting down on a bench and pulling her into his lap.

The two teenagers just sat there in a comfortable silence, exchanging small kisses once in awhile, until Troy broke the silence.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course."

"Please don't get mad," Troy pleaded as Gabriella nodded. "Why all this change? I mean, I think you look great. But, I thought that before. And you've always been against this. So why?"

"I guess I just realized it wouldn't kill me to dress up once in awhile, you know?" Troy nodded. "I mean, this is so uncomfortable and I can't wait to change into my sweats later on." Troy chuckled. "But for now, it's fine, and kind of nice."

"Okay, as long as you're comfortable with this. I don't want you to feel like you have to dress like this for me or anyone else, okay?" Gabriella nodded. "Because I think you're absolutely beautiful no matter what."

Gabriella smiled as her eyes began to water slightly. She gently stroked Troy's cheek before leaning down and pressing her lips gently on his, before laying her head in the crook of his neck as he gently rubbed circles on her back.

"Hey lovebirds!" Troy and Gabriella looked up at Adam who was yelling at them from the doorway. "Come get some food, unless you'd prefer to stay out there and make out. Oww!" Adam yelled as Lucille smacked him on his head.

Troy laughed. "You hungry?"

"Yes!" Gabriella exclaimed as Troy grinned.

The two stood up and intertwined their fingers before walking inside to grab some lunch.

"So Troy," Aaron began as Troy sat down at the table. "What's with Gabi being all dressed up?"

"I don't really know, other than she said she just wanted to for some reason."

"Well she looks kinda hot," Kyle chimed in.

Troy sent Kyle a glare.

"Sorry," he muttered. "Not that I like her like that. I'm just saying."

"You know Troy, Kyle has a point," Adam said. "Gabi does look a lot different. You may have some competition at school now."

Troy froze. "Competition?"

"Well yeah, I mean guys have always thought Gabi was pretty, but you were the only one who's always seen how beautiful she really is. Now that she's dressing differently, it's more obvious to stupid, shallow guys," Adam informed him.

"Like Kyle here," Aaron chimed in as the four guys at the table began to laugh.

"What are you boys laughing at?" Lucille asked as everyone else began sitting down at the table.

"Nothing," they all chorused.

Gabriella walked over and took a seat beside Troy.

Troy grinned and leaned over giving her a kiss on the cheek, before protectively wrapping one arm around her waist.

As everyone chatted at the table and laughed at the story being told by Jack, Troy's mind was completely distracted by what his brothers and cousin had just said. Even though he was young and they'd only been dating for a few months, Troy couldn't imagine being without Gabriella. So he made a conscious decision that he was going to hold onto her even more tightly and not let anyone get in between.

**AN: Hi everyone. Thanks so much for all the reviews. It means so much to me that all of you are reading this story. This was probably my favorite chapter to write, so I hope you enjoyed it. I'd love to read your thoughts on it. Thanks again! **


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Troy pulled Gabriella closer into his side as he led her into school Monday morning—the words of his brothers and cousin echoing in his head. Since they had gotten out of the car moments earlier, almost every guy had been staring at his girlfriend who was dressed in a dark red scoop neck blouse and skinny jeans.

"Hey who's that with Troy?" Chad asked Taylor as he leaned up against her locker, looking towards the entrance to East High.

"That is Gabi. You know, one of your best friends."

Chad's jaw dropped slightly as his eyes bugged out. Taylor smirked and gently pushed his jaw upwards, snapping Chad out of his daze.

"Wow. What's with the sudden change?"

Taylor shrugged in response, not really knowing what would possess Gabriella to conform to be like mostly every other teenage girl.

"Hey guys!" Gabriella greeted as she walked up with Troy.

"Uh, hey," Chad muttered dumbfounded.

"You look great Gabs," Taylor complimented while not so slyly elbowing her boyfriend.

"Ow! Oh, yeah Gabs, you look great." Chad rubbed his side as he grimaced slightly.

"Thanks guys," Gabriella smiled widely as she looked up at Troy who grinned before leaning down and softly kissing her cheek.

The bell rang prompting the four friends to head off to class. Troy took his seat in front of Chad at the front of the classroom, as Gabriella and Taylor took their seats at the back.

"Dude, why is Gabs dressed up?" Chad whispered to Troy.

Troy shook his head, "I really don't know. She said she wanted to."

"But she's always been against that."

"I know."

Troy looked up as some guys from the football team walked in. Troy pounded fists with all the guys as they walked past him towards their seats. He turned around slightly in his seat to see all of them staring at his girlfriend with an obvious glint of interest in their eyes—the same look the majority of guys at school had been giving Gabriella all morning.

Troy's jealousy grew even more as Tim, the football captain gave Gabriella a hug before sitting in his seat next to her. Tim had always been friends with Troy and Gabriella, and Troy had never had a problem with him before. But now, he was feeling threatened.

The bell rang, pulling Troy out of his thoughts. He quickly sprung up from his seat and walked to the back of the classroom, intertwining his fingers with his girlfriend's and leading her to their next class.

* * *

"What's up guys?" Troy asked as he sat down at the lunch table with Chad and Taylor.

"Hey Troy. Where's Gabs?"

"I don't know. She was supposed to meet me at our lockers, but she never did. She probably just got caught up in class or something."

"Here she comes," Taylor commented looking in the direction of the cafeteria doors.

Troy felt his heart drop a little as he saw her walk in next to Tim. He quickly shook it off and smiled at her once she sat down next to him.

"Hey guys."

"Hey Gabs, where were you?" Chad asked before taking a bite of his huge sub sandwich.

"Oh, Tim wanted some help on the Biology assignment, so I was in the library with him. But we didn't get it finished, so he's coming over tomorrow night after practice so I can help him some more."

Troy turned to look at Gabriella, his face revealing his confusion. "Gabi, I thought we were hanging out then to watch the game."

"Oh crap!" Gabriella turned towards Troy placing her hand on his upper arm, as Troy was busy spinning his water bottle on the table as a means of distraction. "Troy, I'm sorry. I totally forgot about the game. Tim really needs help though, and we can't do it tonight. You mind if I'm a little late? We should be done around 8:00. It'll still be early in the game."

Troy glanced at her face and caved once he saw her pleading look. "Yeah," he sighed. "I guess I can let my genius girlfriend help out a friend."

"Thanks Troy," Gabriella kissed his cheek in excitement. "I'm so sorry I forgot. I'll bring the pizza to make up for it."

"Holding you to that," Troy said, smirking in response.

"Pizza!? Ooo, can I come?" Chad's eyes lit up.

"Chad, we're supposed to go on a date, remember?" Taylor questioned her boyfriend.

"Yeah, but pizza _and _the Lakers. Come on Tay…can't we go over to Troy's?" Chad begged as he put on his best puppy dog face.

"No. That face doesn't work on me. You promised me you'd be my partner and go with me to those dance lessons."

Troy and Gabriella erupted in fits of laughter, causing Chad to hide his head in embarrassment.

"Chad!?"

"Dancing?"

"Lessons?"

"That…is…freakin…hilarious," Troy managed to say in between laughs.

"Yeah, forget the studying and game. We'll come watch that." Gabriella laughed as Chad slumped in his seat.

"NO!" Chad shot his head up. "No one is allowed to watch."

"Allowed to watch what?" Sharpay asked, sitting down next to Gabriella.

"Nothing," Taylor came to the rescue of her boyfriend, resulting in a grateful smile from him.

"Yeah, nothing," Troy smirked, holding back his laughter.

* * *

Troy looked across the street as he sat in his living room. The game was on, but he wasn't paying much attention. His attention for the past hour had been on the house across the street where his girlfriend was currently studying with the captain of the football team.

He had seen Tim arrive, and watched as he and Gabriella exchanged a friendly hug. Normally, this wouldn't bother Troy, but he couldn't help but feel uncomfortable with all the attention Gabriella was getting from the guys at school. Guys who never said two words to her were now talking to her like they'd been friends forever. And, it had only been two days since she had started dressing differently.

He was pulled from his thoughts as the doorbell rang. Opening the door, he smiled seeing Katie standing there.

"Hey Katie. What's up?"

"Well, it's been awhile since we have hung out. I was just wondering what you were up to."

"I'm just watching some basketball. If you can handle watching the best team in the NBA play, then you are welcome to join me."

"The Kings are playing tonight?" Katie joked earning a glare from Troy.

"Get out!" Troy teased, pushing her out the doorway and shutting the door in her face.

Troy laughed when he heard her knock on the door.

"May I help you?" Troy asked sweetly, cracking open the door.

"Let me in Bolton. I promise I won't make fun of your Lakers."

"Promise?"

"Yes."

"And who's the best team in the NBA?" Troy questioned, grinning widely.

"Troy let me in," she demanded.

"Nope. Wrong answer," Troy joked as he went to close the door.

"Okay, okay. The Lakers are the best in the NBA. Now, let me in."

Troy laughed and stepped to the side, motioning for her to enter.

"Glad to see you've finally come to your senses," Troy rubbed it in.

The two walked into the living room and sat down, Troy in the chair by the window, and Katie on the couch. Once she was sitting, he turned his attention back to the girl across the street.

"What's the score?" Troy turned to see Adam walk in and plop down on the couch next to Katie a few minutes later.

"Oh, um…I don't know."

"You don't know? What have you been watching?"

"The game. I just uh," Troy got distracted glancing out the window again, "I just forgot what the score was."

"He lies. He hasn't been watching the game. He's been watching Gabriella," Katie spoke up much to Troy's humiliation.

Adam smirked.

"Can't you keep your eyes off your girlfriend for two seconds?"

"Shut up Adam."

Adam got up and walked over to the window, looking over at the Montez home.

"Who's that with her?" Adam asked pointing towards the living room.

"That's Tim," Katie informed.

"Tim? As in the quarterback of your team, Tim?"

"Yep."

"Look at that. I think my little brother is jealous cause he has some competition for his girl," Adam taunted.

"Shut up man," Troy sighed causing Adam to grin.

"Seriously though. How is school? Have guys been staring?"

"Yes! And it's frustrating. I mean, yeah Gabriella is gorgeous…drop-dead gorgeous. I've noticed that for awhile. But now, all these shallow guys are after her."

"Gabi wouldn't go for any of them though, little bro. I wouldn't worry."

"I'm not worried about Gabi leaving me. I'm worried about them coming on to her," Troy admitted as he peered out the window again.

Troy stood up and leaned against the wall beside the living room window as he saw Tim pack up his backpack. He kept his eyes on them as he watched Gabriella walk him to the door. He cringed slightly as he saw Tim lean down and wrap Gabriella in a hug that lasted for longer than the first one. He watched as she waved to Tim with a big grin on her face.

Seeing Gabriella grab a box of pizza and close her front door, Troy ran over and hopped over the top of his chair, taking a seat. He put his feet up on the coffee table trying to look comfortable.

"Gabi on her way over?" Katie teased earning a glare from Troy.

Hearing the doorbell ring, Adam got up and opened the front door.

"Sweet! Pizza!" Adam yelled out. "Let me take that off your hands."

"Thanks Adam," Gabriella laughed before giving Adam a hug and walking into the living room.

Gabriella paused momentarily seeing Katie sitting there with Troy watching the game.

"Uh, hey Katie," Gabriella forced herself to smile.

"Hey Gabi! I hope you don't mind I'm here. Troy and I haven't hung out for a couple days, so I decided to come over and make fun of his Lakers."

"Hey! I told you. Make fun of my team, and sit outside," Troy warned sending her a playful glare. "Anyways, Gabi, come sit."

"What's the score?"

"Troy wouldn't know," Adam piped in, leaving the room once Troy glared at him.

"What?" Gabriella laughed.

"Nothing. Adam's being a dork. The score is…," Troy rattled his brain trying to remember what it had been before commercials.

"43-27 Lakers," Katie spoke up. Troy sent her a grateful smile that didn't go unnoticed by Gabriella.

Troy looked at Gabriella and motioned for her to sit beside him. He scooted over in the chair before she slid in next to him. Troy grinned and put his arm around her, kissing her temple before turning his attention back to the game. Gabriella sighed and snuggled deeper into him, watching the game on TV. To anyone else in the room it would appear that the two were engrossed in the game. Yet neither had thoughts of basketball running through their mind. Instead, both of their minds were racing with worry about potentially losing the person they cared most about to someone else.

* * *

"Thanks for letting me hang out with you and Gabi last night," Katie said gratefully as she and Troy walked down the school hallway the next morning.

"Sure, no problem. You're welcome to come hang out anytime, you know that."

Katie nodded her head. She paused as she heard a group of guys talking, and looked to Troy to see if he heard.

"Nah man. I think Troy ditched her."

"Well then, I'm gonna go for it. She looks hot lately."

Troy stopped walking and in two seconds, he had the guy pinned up against the locker.

"Stay away from her. Don't talk about my girlfriend like that. You got it?" Troy said forcefully as his he pushed him harder into the locker. The sophomore student nodded, and Troy released his grip. He turned and walked away, but not before sending the guy and his friends a menacing glare.

Katie and Troy walked in silence the rest of the way towards their lockers. As they neared their lockers, Troy paused abruptly, his eyes focused on the end of the hallway. Gabriella was standing at the opposite end of the hallway, laughing with a group of guys from the football team. What bothered Troy was not that Gabriella was talking with a group of guys, because those guys were his friends too. He felt a pang of jealousy though as he saw a few of the guys checking her out, while she remained oblivious to their actions. Troy shook his head and walked over towards his locker, only to be spun around in the opposite direction.

"What?" Troy asked exasperated, his normally bright blue eyes becoming a duller color.

"Come on. You need a break, and we need to talk," Katie said as she grabbed his arm and then pushed him gently to encourage him to move towards the gym. Upon entering the gym, Katie turned and walked up to the top of the bleachers and she was soon followed by Troy.

"What's going on?" Katie asked once they had taken a seat.

Troy sighed, running his hand through his hair. "I don't know how I feel about this new Gabi."

"You don't like the way she looks?"

"No. That's not it at all. She looks beautiful. But, she always does," Katie grinned at Troy's honesty. "It's just…frustrating," he finished.

"Why?" Katie asked quickly not missing a beat.

"Because, now all of the sudden, every guy at East High thinks she's hot. And they only like her for her looks."

"And you're jealous?"

"Well yeah. I don't like all these guys looking at my girlfriend and talking about her like they are. I don't know what it is, but I feel like something prompted all of this. Gabi has never been the type to change for other people, but it doesn't make sense why she just suddenly decided to do something she's been against for so long."

"Have you talked to her about it?"

Troy laughed. "Is that the only advice you ever have?"

Katie grinned and brought her fingers up to stroke her chin in a pensive manner. "Yes."

The two burst out in laughter.

"Seriously though Troy. You need to talk to her."

Troy took a deep breath. "Maybe I will. I just don't want her to think that I dislike the new way she looks."

"That makes sense. But, just don't be afraid to talk to her, okay?"

Troy nodded. "And if you hear anything from the girls about why she's acting this way, can you tell me?"

"Of course."

"Thanks Katie," Troy smiled and wrapped her in a hug. "I needed this."

"Don't go all soft on me Bolton," Katie joked as the two separated. Troy grinned and started walking down the bleachers. "Hey Bolton," Katie called out causing him to turn around. "You're welcome." Troy smiled and waved before he took off for class.

* * *

Gabriella waved to Troy as he walked inside his house after dropping her off a few days later after school. Walking inside, she tossed her bag on the table in the front room before sauntering into the kitchen to grab some food. Anna smiled at her daughter who was wearing a jean skirt that ended just above her knees and a cute yellow tank top.

"You look nice Gabi," Carlos complimented his daughter as she sat down next to Michael.

"Thanks Dad."

"I'm glad you decided to take our advice and dress more like a girl," Anna chimed in as Gabriella discreetly rolled her eyes. "Now you don't have to worry about losing Troy. You two will be closer than ever now."

"Mom, I don't think the way Gabi dresses has anything to do with keeping Troy," Anthony spoke up. "Gabi can dress however she wants, and she shouldn't have to dress like all the other girls to please Troy or get your approval."

Gabriella managed to give Anthony a thankful smile even though she was feeling guilty, knowing she had changed for Troy and the approval of others.

"Um, I need to go get some homework done. Great dinner Mom." Gabriella quickly got up and took her plate to the sink.

"But you didn't finish sweetie. Are you sure you don't want more?"

"Yeah, I'm sure. I'll see you guys later," Gabriella said before rushing up the stairs.

After closing her bedroom door, Gabriella collapsed on her bed and covered her eyes under her arms.

'What am I doing? This obviously isn't working. I feel like Troy and I aren't growing any closer, while Katie and Troy are still close. Troy hasn't even really talked with me in the past few days. And, like Anthony said, I shouldn't be doing this to try to keep Troy and get everyone else's approval. Plus, I feel freakin' uncomfortable in these clothes.'

Gabriella got up in a hurry and walked over to her dresser pulling out some basketball shorts and a t-shirt. After changing in the bathroom, she came out to see Troy sitting on her bed.

"Hey! How'd you get in here?"

Troy grinned and pointed at the balcony door.

"Do you even have to ask? How else do I get into your room?" Troy smirked.

He had been sitting there for a few minutes. After mulling over his thoughts for the past few days, he decided to take Katie's advice and talk to his girlfriend.

"So what's up?" Gabriella asked, taking a seat next to him. Troy shifted so they could face each other.

"I think we need to talk," Troy admitted after taking a deep breath.

"Okay, what about?" Gabriella questioned even though she had a good feeling she knew what this was about.

"You," Troy said, pausing before he continued. "We need to talk about this new you…what's going on?"

Gabriella thought for a second about just confessing and telling Troy the truth, but that thought passed quickly.

"Nothing's going on. Troy, we talked about this on Sunday. I just felt like some change."

"See Gabi, that's what I don't get. You have never been the type of person to just suddenly change…especially change and do something you've always been so against."

"So I changed my mind. I don't see what the big deal is Troy." Gabriella got up off the bed and went over to her desk, casually leaning against it.

Troy also got up and began pacing back and forth in front of the bed.

"The big deal, Gabi, is that now all of the sudden, every guy at school is checking you out. Guys who for the most part want nothing more than sex are constantly at your side, and you don't even notice it! You just keep spending time with them!" Troy raised his voice becoming slightly frustrated.

"What are you talking about Troy?" It suddenly dawned on Gabriella that Troy was getting jealous of Tim and some of the other guys on the football team. "Are you talking about Tim? Troy, we've both been friends with Tim and those guys for years. Why now are you upset about it?"

"Because, those guys didn't care before! They hardly ever spent so much time with you. And they certainly didn't look at you the way they do now."

"What makes it so wrong that other guys are attracted to me? Are you saying I wasn't beautiful enough before?"

Troy sighed. "Gabi, that's ridiculous! Of course you were beautiful before, just as you are now. I've always thought that." Gabriella felt her heart flutter slightly at his words. "I just hate what all these guys are saying about you. I hate it that Tim is constantly by your side, looking at you the way he does."

"Tim and I are just friends Troy. Why don't you get that? Girls and guys can be close friends without having anything more between them. Obviously you have close friendships with girls who you aren't dating. Or maybe you're right. Maybe I should be worried about you too." Gabriella paused as she realized what she just said.

Troy racked his brain trying to determine who she was talking about. 'Sharpay? No. I hardly ever spend time with her. Taylor? No way. Katie? I don't think so.'

"What are you talking about? I don't spend too much time with other girls. Only those who are already in relationships and are just friends."

"Really?" Gabriella pushed.

"Yes. Really."

"So there's no single, available girl who you spend lots of time with?"

"No."

Gabriella threw her hands up in the air. "Awesome. Now you're lying. Or you're just being stupid."

"I'm not lying! I hang out with Sharpay…she's with Zeke. Kelsi is with Jason. Taylor is with Chad."

"And Katie?"

Troy looked up at Gabriella and saw the hurt in her eyes when she asked. 'Crap. I hadn't thought about how she is technically single. But her and Josh are practically together. Just not official yet.'

"That's right," Gabriella continued as she blinked back a few tears. "You and Katie. You two have been almost inseparable since she got here."

"Katie and I are friends. That's it. Listen Gabi, Katie and I are close. We talk a lot. But she isn't a threat. In fact, she's the one who gave me the advice to come talk to you."

Gabriella felt hurt as she heard Troy confess he got advice from Katie. The two of them always talked about things, and he was going to Katie for everything. "Yeah, you two are really friendly. You know what Troy?" Gabriella angrily wiped away a few tears that had escaped. "Go back to your _friend_. I can't believe that I'd waste my time doing all these things for you. Katie has more to offer you I'm sure."

"Gabi, how many times do I have to say it? We're just friends."

"Just friends like Tim and I are right? Look, you say you're jealous of Tim. Well guess what… I'm jealous of Katie alright?" Gabriella felt more tears coming. She and Troy had rarely fought in their years of friendship. This was their first big fight as friends, and as a couple.

Troy's heart softened. Everything clicked. All of their issues for the past couple of months had centered around his friendship with Katie. He could now see where she was coming from, but she didn't know that Katie wasn't a threat. Seeing tears fall down her face, Troy went to reach out and wipe them away.

Gabriella angrily swiped at his hand, causing him to step back in shock.

"No Troy. Just leave okay? I can't deal with this anymore tonight."

"Gabi, please ju-," Troy begged quietly before being cut off.

"LEAVE!" Gabriella yelled as she pointed at the door.

Troy nodded solemnly and turned towards the door. Gabriella collapsed on her bed as sobs overtook her body. Troy looked back at her as he heard her sobbing. He wiped away a few tears that had escaped from his own eyes before gently shutting the door.

Troy walked down the stairs and met Anthony at the bottom.

Anthony was about to happily greet him, but he paused as he saw his red eyes.

"What happened man? You okay?"

Troy shook his head, holding back tears. "No, not really."

"You two okay?"

Troy sighed. "I don't know. I don't think so." Troy admitted as he realized he didn't know the status of their relationship.

Anthony nodded and patted Troy on the shoulder. Troy gave a weak smile before heading towards the front door.

"Hey Anthony?"

"Yeah?"

"Make sure she's okay please?"

"Sure thing man."

"Thanks," Troy said quietly before walking out the door and across the street.

Troy walked into his room and shut the door. He collapsed on his bed and stared up at the ceiling, tossing a basketball in the air a few times. Little did he know that across the street Gabriella was doing the same exact thing. Both fell asleep wondering if they had just ran off the most important person in the world to them.

**AN: I'm so sorry I didn't update over the weekend. I was trying to write some, and with the holiday and everything, I didn't have as much time as I'd hoped. I hope you liked this chapter though. Let me know what you thought. Thank you so much for the reviews last chapter by the way! That was the most reviewed chapter so far. :)**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Gabriella kept her head down as she walked into school Friday morning. She had driven herself to school, which had only happened a few times since she had gotten her license. Troy hadn't come by that morning, as expected. And she didn't want to call up any of her friends and ask for a ride, because at that moment she didn't think she could handle talking to any of them about what had happened with Troy.

She knew people were staring at her as she walked down the hallways towards her locker in her red Nike basketball shorts and white Wildcats t-shirt. After a night of a lot of tears and very little sleep, Gabriella had decided to change back to her old self—the one she was more comfortable with. She was worried all morning about what this change would bring. She knew that Troy was right and that most of the guys at the school would ignore her again. She also knew there would be a big argument coming between her and her parents once they found out about her switch back to her old style. One thing she didn't know though was if she could ever make things right with Troy and if this switch would cause her to lose him for good.

Gabriella was terrified to say the least—terrified that she had just lost not only her first boyfriend, but also the best friend she ever had. Her fears had been calmed somewhat though since that morning. Gabriella recalled the talk she had with Anthony that morning before she left for school.

* * *

_Gabriella slipped on a pair of black flip-flops and grabbed her backpack as she exited her room walking downstairs. She had contemplated using Troy's method of balcony climbing to ensure that she wouldn't run into her parents that morning. However, Gabriella rarely skipped a meal, and she knew she needed something to eat, especially since she didn't eat much dinner the night before. _

_She walked slowly towards the kitchen as she felt her nerves building. She was shocked to hear hardly any noise coming from the kitchen. Walking in, she saw Anthony sitting at the table, reading the Sports section of the newspaper while eating a bowl of cereal. _

"_Hey. Where is everyone?" Gabriella looked around and then peered into the living room to see if she missed something. _

"_Hey Gabi. Uh, Dad had to go to work early. Mom had to take Emilee and Michael for routine check-ups at the doctor." _

_Gabriella sighed in relief. Grabbing a bowl and a spoon, she pulled up a chair next to Anthony and poured herself some cereal. _

_Anthony frowned. Looking at his sister, he could see from her bloodshot eyes that she had been crying most of the night. He recalled what Troy had said to him the night before, and knew that something big had gone down between the two. He then noticed that she wasn't wearing any make-up, and that she was dressed in her old style of clothes. He didn't know what had caused her to change back, but knew that she could use someone to talk to about everything that had gone on. _

"_Gabi?"_

"_Yeah?" She asked looking up from the comics section of the newspaper. Looking into her eyes, Anthony saw the pain in them. _

"_You okay?" _

_Gabriella nodded in affirmation, trying to be strong, but her emotions got the best of her as tears began to fall from her eyes. "No," she cried, wiping away some of her tears. _

"_Wanna talk about it?" _

"_Don't you have class?" Gabriella looked up at the clock seeing it was the time that Anthony normally left. _

"_Yeah, but you're more important. Calculus II can wait for a few minutes," Gabriella gave him a watery smile. "Actually, it can wait forever for all I care," he added as an afterthought causing Gabriella to giggle. _

_Anthony smiled. "See? I knew I could get you to laugh. Alright, come on. Tell me what's up." _

_Gabriella sighed as she focused her attention on the uneaten cereal in front of her, swirling it around carelessly in the bowl. "Troy and I got into a huge fight last night." _

"_What about?" _

"_About the newer me…the way I've been dressing and acting this past week." _

"_What do you mean the way you've been acting?" Anthony was slightly confused as he only knew about her change in style. _

"_Since the beginning of the week, I've been hanging out more with Tim and some of the guys from the football team. I tutored Tim one night, and have been helping him out at school too. Troy's been getting jealous of Tim and the other guys at school, I guess." _

_Anthony nodded showing that he was listening. "So is that why Troy left almost crying last night?" _

_Gabriella felt her heart break just thinking of how she had caused Troy to cry. "That, among other things. I accidentally let it slip how I am jealous of Katie and his friendship with her. After I told him that, I yelled at him and told him to leave. And that's when you saw him I'm guessing." Gabriella paused looking up at Anthony. "Anthony, I think I may have lost him," Gabriella choked up as she admitted her greatest fear before she was overcome by sobs. _

_Anthony quickly stood up and went to his sister, pulling her up into a big hug. "No Gabi. You and Troy are way too close for that," Anthony consoled her gently rubbing her back in hopes to calm her. "It was just a fight. All couples have them. You two will get through this." _

_Gabriella pulled away once she had stopped crying. "I hope so. I can't imagine what I'd do without him. Maybe it would have been better if we never dated. That way we wouldn't have had to deal with all this crap." _

_Anthony shook his head. "Gabi, that wouldn't have been better. You two are great together." Gabriella felt a few more tears begin to fall. "Hey, I've known you both all my life, and I've never seen you two happier and more content than since you got together. Even with all the jealousy and stuff with Katie. Still Gabi, you were happy when it was just you and Troy. Don't let one fight mess it up okay? You two need to fight for each other." Gabriella nodded. "Maybe the things most worth having in life you have to fight for." _

_Gabriella smiled and laughed softly. "Throwing quotes from my favorite band in my face, huh?" _

"_Hey, I had to get you to listen somehow," Anthony laughed as he gave her one more hug. _

"_Thanks," Gabriella said as the two sat back down at the table. _

"_You're welcome. Anything for my little sis," Anthony grinned. "Hey, can I ask you another question?" _

"_Sure." _

"_What's up with wearing the basketball clothes again?" _

"_I decided that you were right." Anthony looked confused. "The other night at dinner you told Mom and Dad that I didn't need to dress differently to keep Troy or gain anyone's approval. Well, I was changing to keep Troy." Gabriella admitted._

"_I thought that if I dressed more femininely than I wouldn't have to worry about losing Troy to Katie. But those two are still as close, and Troy and I obviously are farther apart than we've ever been." Gabriella wiped away a tear that had fallen. _

_Gabriella laughed. "I hated those other clothes, and the make-up. I couldn't wait to get back into my comfortable basketball shorts and t-shirt." _

_Anthony laughed along. "Well Gabi, I am proud of you. And I'm sure Troy will be too." _

_Gabriella shook her head. "I'm not so sure about Troy, and I'm dreading the talk I know is coming with Mom and Dad." _

"_First off, forget about the talk with Mom and Dad. Just stand up to them like you always have. But this time, tell them how you really feel…don't let them get to you. Troy fell for you long before you two started dating and before you changed your style. Mom and Dad don't know what they're talking about. And as far as Troy is concerned, trust me Gabi. Keep fighting. He isn't going anywhere, no matter how loud you yelled at him." _

_Gabriella felt a smile form on her face, and Anthony grinned at her. _

"_Seriously, go to school today, and don't worry about what anyone else has to say. Be yourself, and if they have a problem with that…send them to me." _

_Gabriella laughed at Anthony's confidence. "Thanks big bro. I needed this." _

* * *

As Gabriella continued her walk to her locker, she couldn't help but hear the many whispers about her going on. She walked past a group of guys who were staring at her, but not in the same way they had been earlier in the week.

"Hey Montez," a bold, blond-haired sophomore from the football team called out.

Gabriella stopped and turned towards the group of guys. "Yeah?"

"What's with the old clothes? You do know you looked much hotter before right?" The bold sophomore jeered as his group of friends snickered.

"Hey!" A voice yelled out prompting Gabriella and the group of guys to look up. Gabriella spun around to see Tim coming towards them,

Tim quickly grabbed the sophomore by the shirt and pushed him into the lockers.

"Callaghan, I better not see you ever do that again. Stay away from Gabriella. Got it?" Tim stared at him, his eyes turning darker and his jaw set as he kept a grip on his shirt.

He nodded and Tim let go of him backing up a few feet so he was standing next to a grateful Gabriella.

"Now you take your friends here and leave," Tim ordered as the group took off down the hallway.

Gabriella turned to face Tim, leaning her back against the lockers. "Thanks. You didn't have to do that."

"Right place, right time. Callaghan and his friends can be pretty immature and stupid at times."

"Well thanks. I appreciate it," Gabriella grinned.

"So guess what?" Tim asked, unable to hide his smile.

"What?"

"I got an A+ on that bio assignment!"

"Really? That's awesome Tim!" Gabriella exclaimed, before giving him a hug. Gabriella unwrapped her arms from his waist and went to back up, but he held on tightly for a few more seconds. After finally separating, Gabriella stepped back and leaned against the lockers once again, crossing her arms, feeling slightly awkward as Tim leaned against the locker next to her.

"Thanks again Tim, for helping me out," Gabriella said, trying to end their conversation so they could go their separate ways to class.

"No problem! Anything for you Gabs."

"Well still, you didn't have to do that."

Tim grinned. "Sure I did. He shouldn't disrespect you like that."

Gabriella shrugged. "Happens all the time. Well it used to at least, before I decided to change my style. Now that I'm back to myself, I'm sure there's more of that to come." Gabriella laughed slightly, but raised her eyebrows as she saw Tim get a serious look in his eyes.

"Well those guys are just too stupid to see how beautiful you really are," he said softly as he moved closer to her, putting his hand on the locker above her head, closing his eyes while leaning in. Gabriella realized what was happening, and she began to slightly panic. In spite of everything with Troy, she knew that this was not something she wanted. Gabriella placed her hand on Tim's arm, gently pushing him away.

Tim quickly opened his eyes, and a look of regret formed on his face. "Dang it. I'm sorry Gabriella," he apologized while shaking his head in disbelief of himself after seeing Gabriella's panicked look. "You're with Troy, and I respect that. I just got caught up, and I'm sorry."

Gabriella nodded her head as she gave him a small, somewhat awkward smile. "It's okay."

"No, it's not. I shouldn't have done that. I'm really sorry. I hope I didn't just screw up our friendship."

Seeing he felt horrible about it, Gabriella decided to assure him things were okay.

"Thanks Tim. Let's just forget it happened alright? I don't want to lose our friendship. You're a great guy, but I'm in love with Troy. I could never do that to him."

"I know, and I'm sorry. I can't believe I did that. You two are some of my better friends," Gabriella smiled. "I'm gonna go. You gonna be okay?"

"I'll be fine," Gabriella assured him. "Thanks again Tim for helping me earlier."

Tim gave her a small grin, still obviously frustrated with himself for what had almost happened. He gave her a small wave before disappearing into a crowd of students walking through the hallway.

Gabriella sighed and began to walk around the corner towards her locker.

"You should have let him kiss you…now that you and Troy are over." Gabriella spun around hearing the mocking voice.

Gabriella rolled her eyes as she saw Rachel leaning against the wall, grinning at her. Deciding to take the high road, Gabriella shook her head and turned to continue on her way to her locker. She was stopped though when Rachel sped to stand in front of her.

"What's wrong Gabriella? Finally realize that Troy could never like you in that way? Switching styles didn't work either did it?"

Gabriella took a deep breath trying to control the many hidden emotions threatening to surface. She looked up at Rachel, and tried to remain calm in spite of the smirk on Rachel's face. "Back off Rachel," Gabriella said looking straight into her eyes, before stepping to the side and walking around her.

* * *

Wiping the sweat off his forehead, Troy dribbled hard left before crossing over quickly to the right and scooping under the basket for a reverse lay-up. He quickly grabbed the ball after it sunk through, and made his way back to the top of the key.

"Hey Captain! Where have you been?" Troy turned his attention to Chad who just walked through the gym doors.

"Shooting." Troy stated before dribbling right, then around his back, and pulling up making a short bank shot.

"Well I can see that. How come we haven't seen you all day? You or Gabs. Where is she?"

Troy sighed as he grabbed the ball and dribbled to the left side of the court.

"I have no clue."

Chad rolled his eyes at his best friend who was giving short answers. "Alright, what's going on Troy?"

"Nothing," Troy replied, driving baseline and laying in a left-handed reverse.

Chad ran over and grabbed the ball before Troy could. "Look Troy. I know that you normally go to Gabs or Katie for advice, and I get that. I know I'm not the best at it. But try me. I wanna help. It's lunch period; we have time."

Troy sighed as he nodded his head before walking over to the bleachers, taking a seat. Chad sat down a few feet away, tossing Troy the basketball.

"Talk to me. What's up?" Chad prompted.

Troy spun the ball in his hands a few times. "Gabi and I had a fight. A big fight."

"What about?"

"Well, things haven't been great for the past month or so. At times, things were fine. But overall, things have been rocky. I couldn't figure it out—didn't know why she kept distancing herself. Gabi and I have always been close, but these past few weeks, she wouldn't tell me everything and she'd be too busy with basketball and homework to hang out."

Chad nodded. "Yeah I know. She was distancing herself from everyone. But I thought you said you two talked about that?"

"We did," Troy admitted, recalling the talk they had had the week before. "And I thought everything was good. But then all of the sudden, she changes."

"That caught me off guard too. Gabs has always been so against that, and I admire her for being herself and not worrying about the pressure from everyone else."

"I know! Me too. I mean, don't get me wrong…Gabi looks beautiful with this new style. But, she did before too. And I saw that, and I tell her that all the time. But once she changed, now all of these stupid, shallow guys start paying attention to her. So, I took Katie's advice and went to talk to her last night."

Chad felt bad for his friend as he saw his dejected look. "And it didn't go so well," Chad stated more than questioned.

"It went horribly. For the first time in a long time, we got in an argument. And, I sort of yelled at her, which I can't even remember a time that I've done that. I felt so bad. I got all jealous of her and Tim, not believing her that they are just friends."

"They have been hanging out a lot together," Chad agreed. "But Gabs would never do anything like that to hurt you."

Troy sighed. "I know that. I was just being stupid and jealous. I was being so stupid that I didn't even see what the problem had been for these past few months."

Chad looked confused. "What's the problem?"

"Katie." Troy replied simply before continuing noticing Chad's obvious confusion. "Katie and I have gotten pretty close over the past couple of months…mainly because our families are together a lot since her mom and my mom are best friends. And I guess at some point, Gabi started to get jealous of us. I mean, it makes sense, and I should have known. She's always had problems with self-confidence. Which isn't necessarily a horrible thing. I love how she doesn't really know how beautiful she is, you know? It gives her his sort of humility that I love."

Chad grinned. "Yeah I get that. Most girls aren't like that."

"Exactly!" Troy smiled. "But I freakin blew it…big time. She thinks there is something going on between me and Katie, which there isn't and never was. She's no threat to our relationship."

"Right, she's basically with Josh, yeah?"

Troy looked surprisingly at Chad. "How did you figure that one out?" He laughed slightly.

"Taylor told me," Chad replied simply, shrugging his shoulders, as Troy began to laugh more.

"Anyways," Troy said once he finished laughing. "Gabi doesn't know that. And she thinks that Katie and I like each other like that and that we should just get together. She yelled at me last night and told me to get out before I could explain." Troy's miserable look returned.

"That sucks man."

"Yeah, and I don't know if I've lost her for good. I don't know if we actually broke up or not. And, I haven't really seen her at all today…just a few times in class. But to be honest, I'm afraid to see her and talk to her."

"Why?"

"I can't stand to see her as sad and down as she was last night. It hurts so much to see my best friend, the girl I love, bawl like that, and to know that I am the cause of it."

Chad looked at his best friend who was trying to hold it together. "Listen Troy, let me give you some advice." Troy smiled and nodded. "Don't avoid Gabi. I know she loves you too, and she needs to know that you aren't gonna leave her. You guys are best friends too. You need each other."

"You're right. Thanks man. I'll talk to her soon, maybe later tonight." The two guys slapped hands quickly, pulling into a quick hug.

"Good. Up for a quick game?" Chad asked picking up the basketball that was set on the bleachers.

Troy smiled. "Let's do it."

After finishing their game, Troy and Chad exited the gym headed for one their last classes of the day. Troy stopped walking and a smile formed on his face as he stared towards the classroom door. Chad followed his friend's gaze to see what had caught his attention.

"She changed back?" Chad questioned as Troy's smile grew wider, gazing at Gabriella who was oblivious to all the attention.

"Yeah." Chad couldn't help but smile at his friend's obvious happiness and look of infatuation.

"Let's go lover boy. We're gonna be late for class," Chad informed him, pushing his shoulder to get him to start walking.

Troy paused again right outside the classroom. "Hey Chad?"

"Yeah?"

"Never call me lover boy again." Troy said seriously causing Chad to laugh.

"Yeah, that was a little weird, huh?"

Troy nodded emphatically. "Never again."

"Deal." Chad agreed before following Troy into the classroom just as the bell rang. Chad glanced over at Troy and rolled his eyes at his friend who was longingly staring at Gabriella, who was seated a few seats over.

* * *

Gabriella walked in her front door, dropping her gym bag by the front door before walking into the kitchen to get a drink. She had just finished basketball practice, and now she was exhausted. All she wanted to do was get a drink and go lay down for a few hours. Her mind was still racing with thoughts of Troy. Although they had shared a few glances throughout the day, aside from that and the few times she caught him staring at her, the two had barely interacted all day. She knew it would take some time, and that they couldn't immediately make everything go away, but she still couldn't help but miss her best friend.

"Hey sweetie," Anna greeted, walking into the kitchen with her husband. "How was school?"

Gabriella shrugged, while taking a sip of Gatorade. "It was alright."

"Just alright?" Carlos asked.

Gabriella nodded, before taking a seat on the kitchen counter. Gabriella looked up to see her mom looking her up and down.

"What's up mom?"

"Nothing, it's just…is that what you wore to school today?" Anna asked, referring to her basketball shorts, t-shirt, flip-flops, and black baseball hat.

Gabriella took a deep breath, knowing what was coming. "Yep."

"What happened to the other clothes? The hair? The make-up?" Carlos questioned, prompting Gabriella to roll her eyes.

"I feel more comfortable like this."

"It's great to feel comfortable Gabi, but…" Anna trailed off.

"But what mom?"

"But, how do you expect to keep Troy when you dress like that?" Anna looked at Gabriella and raised her eyebrows.

"I don't think Troy cares how I dress mom," Gabriella commented, hoping the conversation would go away.

"Gabi, sweetie…we've been over this. Guys do care, and that includes Troy. No matter how good of a guy he is…trust us when we say it matters," Anna continued.

"Your mother's right Gabi. Guys are attracted to physical appearances, and you can't expect to keep Troy around when you dress like that."

Feeling all the emotions build up after having dealt with this conversation way too many times and not being able to handle hearing her best friend being put down, Gabriella finally decided to take a stand.

"Keep Troy?" Gabriella asked rhetorically. "Keep Troy!?" Gabriella set her drink down on the counter harshly. "You know what mom and dad? I lost Troy. He doesn't even care that I wore all those stupid clothes."

"Sweetheart calm down," Carlos said.

"No. You know what? I need to get this out. All my life, I've been comfortable with the way I dress and the way I act. I've never felt comfortable in all those girlie clothes, so I dress how I want. I don't care if it's not normal…I don't care that it's not the way everyone else dresses. This is me. I've never needed to dress for anyone else's approval. And all my life, I've listened to you both tell me that a guy will never like me the way I am—that to get a guy, I need to change my appearance to be more physically attractive. Well guess what? I got a guy—Troy. He didn't care that I dressed differently. In fact, he _always_ told me how beautiful I was dressed like that. Then, I let you two get in my head. I thought I would lose Troy, the best thing in my life…so I changed for him—for his approval. Well, I didn't get his approval. The two of us were much closer and better off before all this crap."

Gabriella stared at her parents. Silence filled the room for a few moments. Anna looked at her daughter sympathetically.

"I'm sorry to hear about you and Troy sweetie, but do you really expect to get Troy back by dressing like that? Maybe you and Troy are just going through a rough patch and he just isn't used to you dressing like that. But if you go back-," Gabriella shook her head and interrupted her mom.

"No mom! That's just it. I don't want to go back. And I don't think Troy wants me to either. But even if he did, I'm not gonna change who I am just to get a guy. I don't want that kind of guy."

"All I am saying Gabi is you might want to give this another shot. You only changed your style for a week. I'm sure Troy is more likely to stay with you when you dress more like a girl."

Gabriella had enough, as she felt tears prick her eyes due to all of the emotions she was feeling—fear, sadness, desperation, but mostly anger.

"No! I am not going back. If you guys can't accept me for that, then that's your problem not mine. I can't believe you guys feel this way—my parents. The two people who are supposed to love me unconditionally. I thought you'd be happy that I finally started dating and fell in love with this great guy…but no. I'm done with believing your opinions." Gabriella wiped away a tear that had escaped before running out the back door straight into Anthony.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Anthony gently grabbed her arm as she was trying to run off. "What's wrong?"

Gabriella shook her head, knowing if she said something she would break down into tears.

"Mom and dad?" Anthony questioned, knowing that was one of the only things that caused Gabriella to break down. He had heard them yelling and had listened to some of what Gabriella had said. She nodded before prying Anthony's hand off her arm and taking off.

Anthony walked into the kitchen, furious with his parents.

"Hi Anthony, how was your day?" Carlos asked.

"My day? It was fine until I heard my parents say some really messed up things to my sister about her and her boyfriend. It was fine until I saw my sister take off. To where? I have no clue!" Anthony raised his voice, deciding it was time for him to really step up for his sister. "I can't believe you guys though. She took off…probably in tears somewhere. I don't think you realize how much you hurt her."

"Anthony, I'm sorry you heard all that. But Gabi will be fine. She's just a little upset over Troy and what we said, and she needs to blow off some steam. She'll come around." Anna calmly responded.

"No mom. She won't come around. You and Dad hurt her so much. Do you know she thinks she'll never be good enough for you guys? Do you know that the whole reason she changed was because she was worried she'd lose Troy to another girl like Katie. Those were lies that you guys planted in her brain. Do you know that Troy told her he loved her way before she ever changed? That he's been in love with her for years just the way she is?" Anthony took a deep breath to gain his composure. "Listen guys, she respects you both and your opinions…a whole lot. She gets so down every time she talks with you, but she tries to keep that from showing. But now, when she finally listens to these lies everyone tells her, she ends up possibly losing the guy she loves."

Anthony looked at his parents and saw that they were starting to feel remorseful—both of them looking worriedly at each other and then staring at the ground.

"Mom, Dad," Anthony got their attention, "I'm sure you feel bad that Gabi is so hurt. But that isn't good enough for her. She desperately wants your approval, just the way she is. The rest of the world is supposed to tear her down…not her parents."

Carlos and Anna gave Anthony a weak smile before nodding solemnly. Just then, the sound of the doorbell rang throughout the house.

"Don't worry, I'll get it," Anthony offered.

* * *

Troy rocked back and forth nervously on his heels. He decided to go over to Gabriella's house to see if they could at least talk. He needed to apologize for yelling at her, and see where their relationship stood.

The door opened, and Troy smiled nervously. "Uh, hey Anthony. Gabi here?"

"Hey Troy," Anthony stepped outside, gently closing the door behind him. "She's not here. Her and my parents got into another argument, and she took off." Troy's smile faded hearing about the argument. "I don't know where she would go, but maybe you do. She was crying a lot. They really got to her this time."

"What'd they say?"

"I didn't hear it all, but she finally stood up to them. That much I know."

Troy smiled, happy and proud that Gabriella finally was able to stand up for herself.

"Anyways man, you better go look for her. I think you are the only person who can help her calm down."

Troy grinned. "Thanks Anthony. I think I know exactly where she is. Tell your parents and mine not to worry. We may be out late." Troy said before turning and taking off down the driveway and across the street towards his car. He quickly hopped in his car and sped down the street, hoping she'd be where he was thinking.

**AN: Thanks everyone so much for all the reviews last chapter. I hope you enjoyed this one as well. I will be updating again in a week, hopefully next Friday. This story only has a few chapters left, probably 3 or 4, just to let you all know. Thanks for all the comments and support. It means a lot. And if you haven't already, check out my story Disguised Affection that I am co-writing with Erin (lsr188). Thanks! **


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Troy quickly slammed his car door shut before darting across the parking lot. He ran as quickly as he could up the small hill and around the lake. Troy stopped and took a deep breath, seeing Gabriella sitting on the bench in their spot, her knees brought up to her chest and her face buried in her arms.

"Gabi?" Troy said softly, trying not to scare her. Gabriella quickly wiped away her tears with her forearm before looking up at Troy.

"Yeah?" She choked out, fighting off some tears.

Troy's heart broke and he rushed to her side scooping her up in a big hug, letting her bury her head in his chest. Troy held her close whispering soothing words in her ear, while rubbing her back.

After a few minutes, Gabriella lifted her head up. "Your shirt," she commented, wiping at his tear-stained shirt. Troy chuckled and shook his head.

"Hey, it's okay. I don't mind at all," Troy replied with a grin, before tucking some loose strands of hair behind her ear. He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead, lingering a few moments before pulling back.

Looking into his eyes, Gabriella could see that he was hurt, and knew that the distance between them for the past few days had been hurting him just as much as it was hurting her. She wanted to break the ice—to talk things through with him, and apologize for yelling at him.

"Troy, I'm sor-," Troy put his fingers over her lips to stop her from talking.

"Not tonight okay? We'll talk about it later," Troy offered, running his fingers through her hair in a soothing manner.

Gabriella shook her head. "But Troy, we need to talk about what happened." Gabriella protested, looking down at her feet to avoid making eye contact. "I know I hurt you by yelling at you, and being the stupid jealous girlfriend and I..," Gabriella stopped as once again Troy placed his fingers over her lips to stop her from talking.

"Shh, listen," Troy sighed, running one hand up and down her back. "We both were at fault. But you've been through a lot today. Let's not worry about it for now."

"Are you sure?" Gabriella asked, her focus still on her feet.

Troy grinned and moved his fingers placing them under her chin, and lifting her face so that he could look into her eyes. "Yeah I am. We have all the time in the world to talk about that okay? Right now, I just want to sit here and comfort you as your best friend should. We'll sort all that other stuff out later alright?"

Gabriella nodded as much as she could, since Troy had a hold of her chin. "Thanks Troy." She grinned softly, thankful that he understood she needed her best friend back.

Troy smiled and leaned back against the bench, bringing Gabriella with him, letting her snuggle up into his side as he continued to rub her back in a soothing manner.

"So I heard that you talked with your parents."

"Mmhmm." She mumbled into his chest.

Troy grinned and leaned down, placing his lips on the top of her head. "I'm proud of you," he whispered softly.

Gabriella smiled and wrapped her arms around his waist more tightly. "Thank you. How'd you find out?"

"I was coming over to talk to you about us, and I ran into Anthony. He told me everything he heard, and told me that you took off. I knew right away where you had gone. I figured you could use your best friend."

Gabriella leaned up and lightly kissed Troy on the cheek before laying her head back on his chest. "I missed you," she whispered into his chest.

Troy wrapped his arms around her more tightly, before dropping another kiss on her forehead. "I missed you too Gabi."

* * *

Gabriella sighed sitting down on the bench in the locker room and slipping on her shoes, getting ready to go to home for the day having just finished practice. Practice had ended thirty minutes earlier, and most everyone was gone except for Gabriella and Taylor. "I don't know Tay. I mean as far as our friendship is concerned, things are getting better. He has been so sweet the past few days, telling me that we will talk eventually but for now, he wants me to not worry about it. On Friday night, he just held me there at our spot. We sat there for hours. I fell asleep in his arms, and I woke up Saturday morning in my bed. Anthony said he carried me in late Friday night."

Taylor sat down on the bench next to her and grinned. "Did you see him at all over the weekend?"

"I saw him on Sunday at the family barbeque. But we didn't really talk. Tyler had a league playoff basketball game Sunday afternoon for his city league team, so the Boltons all left right after we ate."

Taylor placed her hand on Gabriella's shoulder. "It'll work out Gabi. Chad told me how broken up Troy was over what had happened. He just knows you've been through a lot with your parents. I'm sure you guys will talk soon."

"Thanks Tay," Gabriella said giving her a small hug.

"You need a ride home?"

"No thanks. I drove myself today. Thanks for waiting around though and stopping by to ask."

"It wasn't a problem. I was working on a report in the library anyways. Alright, I'll see you later. Have a good night Gabi."

"You too Tay."

Taylor nodded before giving Gabriella a small wave and heading out of the locker room.

Gabriella finished stuffing her practice gear in her bag, stood up while slinging her bag over her shoulder, getting ready to head home, only to come face to face with a smirking Rachel.

"So, you and Troy still haven't made up, huh? That's too bad."

Gabriella groaned. "Rachel, I told you before. Just back off," Gabriella said before turning in the opposite direction to walk away. She stopped as she felt her arm being pulled causing her to spin around and come face to face with Rachel.

"Still bitter about the break-up I see. I don't blame you for yelling at Troy like that. It's obvious there's something more going on between him and Katie."

Gabriella dropped her bag and roughly brushed away Rachel's grip on her arm feeling the anger build up inside her. "Rachel I'm warning you. Stay away from me and Troy." Gabriella's eyes darkened as she stared at Rachel, neither of them noticing the tall blonde basketball player listening around the corner.

"What are you gonna do about it Gabriella? Huh?" Rachel grinned in a taunting manner. "Absolutely nothing. Remember the Spring Dance last year? Or how about homecoming? Both times you did nothing. You ran away crying like a little girl because Troy picked me over you both those times, and he'll do it again."

Gabriella rolled her eyes in response. "Troy would never date someone like you."

"He will once you are out of the way and my plan gets finished. I'll be dating Troy. You won't be."

Gabriella looked at her confused. "And what about Katie? The girl that you say has so much chemistry with Troy, and is successfully breaking us apart?"

"Oh that's right, you don't know." Rachel smirked. "Katie actually isn't a threat at all. She has had a huge crush on Josh ever since she got here. I'm assuming they'll be officially going out any day. I was just using her to split up you and Troy," Rachel stepped closer to Gabriella, getting in her face. "Worked pretty well, huh? That stupid ex-boyfriend of yours has no idea either."

Feeling all of her anger towards Rachel reach an all new high, Gabriella's eyes darkened considerably as she clenched her fists. In one swift move before Rachel could react, Gabriella grabbed Rachel's shoulders and roughly shoved her into the lockers behind her. Rachel winced as Gabriella stepped closer.

"For the last time Rachel, stay out of mine and Troy's lives," Gabriella said in a strong voice, still pushing on Rachel's right shoulder, holding her against the lockers. "And don't ever talk about Troy like that again." With one last punctuating shove, Gabriella turned around and picked up her bag, before slinging it over her shoulder and exiting the locker room, the door banging loudly after she walked through.

Rachel grimaced before pushing herself off the lockers. She stepped around the corner only to come face to face with a fuming Katie.

"Rachel, I can't believe all of what you just said. You used me to split up Troy and Gabriella."

Looking slightly stunned that Katie had heard everything, Rachel quickly countered. "Oh don't be such a big baby about it. You know if you were smart, you would have taken Troy for yourself a long time ago."

"Shut up Rachel! Troy and I are just close friends. I don't feel that way about him, and you know it. You knew how I felt about Josh. Yet you told all those lies to Gabriella…telling her there was something between Troy and I, when you know there was nothing at all. And all this time, you didn't care about me, or how I felt about Josh. All you cared about was getting what you want, and using the people around you to get it."

Rachel scoffed. "Josh!? I don't get you Katie. You could be with Troy…the guy every girl at East High wants."

Katie rolled her eyes. "Not every girl wants him Rachel. I could never do that to Troy anyways. Or Gabriella for that matter."

"Why do you care about Gabriella? She's been jealous of you and Troy for months. You and I are closer than you are with her. Shouldn't you care more about me and helping me out?"

Katie laughed in disbelief. "Are you kidding me!? Helping you out!? You're only interested in helping yourself out. All this time, you encouraged me to keep hanging out with Troy, all along knowing what it was doing to Gabriella. All those times I asked you for advice on how to help out Troy and Gabriella, you kept encouraging me that Troy needed my friendship. Then you just used that to rub it in Gabriella's face. And on top of all of that, you lied to me multiple times."

"Lied to you? About what?" Rachel asked innocently.

"You know exactly what," Katie told her as she stepped closer. "You weren't honest with me about what happened in the past between you and Troy and Gabriella. I can't be friends with someone who not only lies to me, but would hurt some of my close friends like that…multiple times. Stay away from me Rachel. Don't mess with my friends or me any more. Got it?"

Rachel scoffed. "What are you gonna do about it? You're weak Katie. This whole time you were oblivious to what was going on. And if you're just going to side with Gabriella and Troy, then I'll find someone else to help split them up."

Katie backed Rachel into the lockers, staring her down—her eyes burning with anger, hurt, and disappointment. "You better take my advice and back off Rachel. It's obvious that Troy doesn't want you. I suggest you back off before something else happens. Gabriella was being nice, but I'm certain she has friends like Sharpay Evans who won't be so nice. And as for me? I may have fallen for your tricks before, but I won't make that mistake again. Stay out of my life, or you'll be sorry."

Katie looked at her once more, disappointment and hurt still evident in her eyes, before turning to exit the locker room. Once she pushed through the doors, she stood against the wall, leaning her head back as she let out a long sigh. After a few minutes, she pulled out her phone. She knew she needed to talk to both Troy and Gabriella. But she realized that after what she had just heard, she probably shouldn't talk to Gabriella just yet. She knew now that Gabriella had been hurt by her, and it would take time before they could be good friends. She quickly scrolled down to Troy's name.

The phone rang twice before Troy picked up. "Hey Katie, what's up?"

"Hey Troy. Listen I need to talk to you. Are you still at school?" Katie asked hurriedly.

"Um, no. I am on my way home from the scrimmage the team was having at the park that my dad had set up against some college guys. Why? What's up?"

"Look Troy. I overheard a conversation just now between Gabi and Rachel in the locker room."

Troy's grip on the steering wheel tightened. "What did Rachel do?" He asked through gritted teeth.

"She was taunting Gabriella, saying you two still haven't made up, and how you're gonna pick her over Gabi. She said everything about the past…how she messed up both the Spring Dance and Homecoming for you two. Then she went on to say how she had been using me to break the two of you up, and how she has now succeeded, and Gabi is out of the picture."

"What!?" Troy exclaimed as he consciously accelerated faster, needing to get home and find Gabriella.

"Yeah, I couldn't believe it. I'm so sorry Troy for everything. Rachel was using our friendship to make Gabriella think we were interested in each other. Our friendship was part of the reason you two had all these problems. I feel so horrible that Gabriella thought there was something between us. And I'm so mad at myself for ever getting close to Rachel. I can't believe everything she's done to you."

Troy sighed. "It's alright Katie. I should have realized what was going on with Gabi. It wasn't just your fault. You shouldn't blame yourself. But right now, I need to find Gabi. She went home right?"

"Yeah, she left a little while ago. She should be at home, I'm guessing."

Troy quickly turned down his street. "Alright. Thanks for calling Katie."

"You're welcome. And I'm sorry, once again Troy."

"It's okay Katie. I'll talk to you later."

The two hung up as Troy pulled into his driveway. He threw open the door, stepped out, and slammed the door shut before darting across the street. He had run halfway up the steps to the front porch, but he stopped as the sound of a basketball bouncing on the cement caught his ear. Troy grinned before jumping back down the steps and walking around the corner towards the backyard of the Montez home.

Gabriella crossed over left and stepped behind the three point line, before nailing the shot. She had gotten home twenty minutes earlier, and had immediately went out back to shoot hoops, not even going inside to drop off her stuff. At this point she wanted to vent her feelings. Everything had been building up, from her discussion with her parents, to what had happened with Rachel, to her relationship with Troy. And basketball was one way she could do that. She spun around after retrieving the ball, to dribble back to the free throw line. As she looked up, her eyes connected with Troy's.

"Hey," she said somewhat breathlessly.

"Hi." Troy smiled as she bounce-passed the ball to him. He caught it smoothly before dribbling up beside her, as they both turned towards the basket. Troy dribbled in between his legs before pulling up and shooting a ten-foot jump shot, the ball swishing through the net.

A grin erupted on Gabriella's face, looking at him out of the corner of her eye. "Nice shot."

"Thanks," Troy said as he went to grab the ball, bouncing it towards her. "So I heard what happened after practice."

Gabriella sighed before taking a shot, watching it sail through. Troy went and grabbed the ball. He paused before passing it back to her.

"You want to talk about it?" Gabriella shrugged and clapped her hands twice, indicating she wanted the ball. Troy passed it to her, and she began to dribble it in front of her.

"Hey," Troy said softly prompting her to shift her gaze from her feet up to his eyes. "Look, I know things have been somewhat awkward between us since the other night, but you can talk to me. We've never had a problem with that."

Gabriella nodded her head bouncing the ball back to Troy. "You want the long or short version?"

"We have time," Troy grinned. "I don't have to be anywhere else." Troy dribbled twice more before shooting a jump shot that rimmed out. "Crap," Troy muttered under his breath, causing Gabriella to smirk as she went to grab the rebound.

She took a deep breath before beginning. "After practice tonight, I was getting my stuff together when Rachel came into the locker room. It was just me and Tay before, and I thought I was alone. Apparently she'd been in there for a few minutes listening to our conversation." Gabriella looked over at Troy to see he was listening closely, his gaze on her. She threw up another shot, watching it bounce off the rim towards Troy who caught it effortlessly.

"What was the conversation about?" Troy asked, while smoothly passing the ball behind his back to Gabriella.

Gabriella sighed. "You." She nervously bit her lip, and Troy smiled, thinking how cute she looked. "We had been talking about what happened the other night after my talk with my parents. And after Tay left, she came around the corner and said something like, 'so you and Troy still haven't made up yet, huh?'." Troy laughed at Gabriella's impersonation of Rachel. She smirked at him and walked behind him to his other side, taking a jump shot from the top corner of the key, watching as it sailed through and then bounced over to the grass area next to the court before turning back towards Troy.

"I told her to back off multiple times, but she continued to go on and on, talking about you and Katie, and bringing up what happened at the Spring Dance sophomore year and at Homecoming this year. Then she told me about how she'd been using Katie all along…making it seem like there was more between you and Katie, just to make me jealous and break us up. She's been taunting me over this for months."

Troy ran his hand through his hair, noticing the frustration and slight hint of sadness in Gabriella's voice as she brought up those past incidents. "Gabi, I'm so sorry you had to deal with her again."

Gabriella sent him a small smile. "Thanks Troy. But you know what? I think she's finally going to back off."

"Why do you say that?"

Gabriella laughed, and Troy looked at her confused. "I may have used a little force to get my point across," she said, struggling to conceal the grin that was threatening to erupt on her face.

Troy's jaw dropped. "You what?" He asked, amusement evident in his voice.

"Well, she was in my face telling me how her plan had worked and how you were stupidly falling for it. I wasn't going to dare let her talk like that about the one person I love most in this world."

A bright pink color flushed her cheeks once she realized what she had just said. Troy couldn't hide his smile as he stepped closer. Their eyes connected, and she looked to the ground in embarrassment. Troy gently placed two fingers under her chin, lifting her head until she looked up at him.

"Thanks Gabi," he whispered before leaning down and gently kissing her cheek. Gabriella felt a big smile form on her face as Troy pulled her even closer, wrapping her in a hug. She relaxed in his arms, feeling sparks shoot through her body as she leaned closer in his embrace, loving the feel of his arms around her.

After a few moments, the two pulled away, but Troy kept one arm wrapped around her waist, as he tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear with his other hand. Gabriella took another deep breath.

"Troy? Can we talk now?" Troy knew exactly what she was talking about, and he was glad she had brought it up, since he definitely wanted to talk to her.

"Definitely. Wanna sit down?" Troy asked gesturing over to the bench in the gazebo.

Gabriella nodded, and Troy grinned. As they made their way over to the gazebo, their hands brushed together. Troy gently reached over and grabbed Gabriella's hand, before she could pull away, and instantly laced his fingers through hers.

They reached the gazebo, and Troy led her over to the bench, the two sitting down facing each other, their legs crossed underneath them. After a few seconds, neither knowing who should speak up first, Gabriella broke the silence.

"This is kind of weird, huh?"

Troy nodded. "Yeah, we've never really fought."

"You're right. Except for that time when we were five and you ate all the red Gummy Bears out of my pack while we were watching TV." Gabriella reminded him with a smile.

"That's right. You went to the kitchen to get a drink, and when you came back, all the red ones were gone," Troy laughed. "Oh, there was also that time when we were ten and we were having that fight in my backyard, pretending we were ninjas…and you hit me in the nose with the ninja stars we made."

Gabriella couldn't control her laughter. Troy smiled somewhat, rubbing the bridge of his nose, brushing his fingers over the small scar that resided there.

"I remember running inside to get your mom. After she cleaned up your cut, she called my parents."

"Yeah…and then our dads confiscated all our ninja weapons and made us both sweep our pools for a week."

Gabriella smiled at the memory. "Uh huh. And you wouldn't talk to me the rest of the day. But I knew I could get you to cave."

Troy shrugged. "Hey, how could I resist a bag of your mom's homemade brownies and an afternoon of watching _3 Ninjas_ with you?"

After the laughter died down, their eyes met for a few seconds.

Gabriella sighed. "I'm sorry for yelling at you Troy. You didn't deserve that," she confessed while nervously playing with her fingers, looking up at Troy. "Everything was just building up. I hated being the jealous girlfriend and I took out all my frustrations over that on you that night."

"But you were right Gabi. I had been spending a lot of time with Katie, and had been unintentionally pushing you aside. I honestly didn't mean to do that. I knew all along that Katie was as good as taken, and I have never been interested in her like that anyways. We just clicked as friends…our families spending all this time together. I never meant for it to get in the way of us. I'm sorry I pushed you aside at times. You should know though, that you are the only girl for me," Troy said, reaching across and gently grabbing her hand, rubbing his thumb over her knuckles.

Troy smiled at the blush on her cheeks, and picked up her hand, gently kissing it before scooting closer to her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders as they both leaned back on the bench.

"And as far as the jealousy is concerned…we're both guilty," Troy continued. "I was so jealous of Tim. I got upset with you for being friends with him, which was hypocritical of me. I let the jealousy get to me, when the two of you were just friends."

Gabriella grimaced slightly, remembering what had happened at school a few days prior when Tim tried to kiss her. She shifted herself away from Troy so she was once again sitting cross-legged while facing him.

"Troy, there's something else I have to tell you." Troy looked at her, confusion etched on his face, but nodded for her to continue. "Tim tried to kiss me the other day at school."

Troy's heart dropped, as he was praying that nothing had happened and that the reason for their distance wasn't because she was interested in Tim. Gabriella quickly spoke up noticing the fear in his eyes.

"No, no, no Troy. Nothing happened." Troy sighed in relief. "But he did try to kiss me. He felt horrible, and I haven't really talked to him since…he's too upset with himself from what I hear. He felt like he had betrayed us both, messing up his friendships with us."

"You were right though Troy," Gabriella continued, disappointment evident in her voice. "He was interested in me in that way, and I didn't see it. I can't believe I didn't see that, and listen to you. I mean out of everyone I know, you are the one I trust the most. I'm sorry I screwed everything up," she finished

"Hey, hey," Troy wrapped his arm around her once again, pulling her into his side. "You didn't screw everything up. Like I said the other day Gabi…we both were at fault. I'm not mad at you for the thing with Tim, and I'm glad you told me."

Gabriella tilted her head to look up at Troy. "You sure?" Troy nodded. "Thanks Troy. I was so sure you'd be mad because you told me those guys were only interested in me because of my change in style."

"No problem Gabi. I'm not mad at all." Troy assured her.

"You sure?" Troy nodded. "So are we okay then?"

Troy smiled and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, before leaning down and gently capturing her lips with his in a sweet kiss. The two pulled apart and smiles erupted on their faces.

"Definitely okay," Troy said softly against her skin as his lips brushed her cheek. Troy pulled back and stared into her dark brown eyes while he brought his hand to her cheek, gently rubbing his thumb over it before connecting their lips once again more passionately.

After a few moments, they separated and Troy leaned his forehead against hers. "I definitely missed that," Troy whispered against her lips.

Gabriella felt her heart flutter. "Me too."

Troy grinned and kissed her softly once more before allowing her to snuggle up into his side. He interlaced their fingers on one hand, while running his fingers through her hair with the other.

"Gabi," he spoke up after a few moments. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Why did you change back?"

Gabriella sighed, and Troy just pulled her closer. "I realized I was doing that all for the wrong reasons. I was afraid I'd lose you to Katie and so I decided to change. I never told you, but my parents told me multiple times that if I didn't change, I'd lose you to Katie or someone else. That's why I was always so upset after those conversations with my parents. I let what they said get to me."

Troy kissed the top of her head. "But you know that I don't care about the way you dress. You're beautiful regardless of what you are wearing. Like right now," Troy commented, looking down at her white adidas t-shirt and black adidas shorts. "Gorgeous."

Gabriella blushed and Troy lifted her head up, softly brushing his lips against hers.

"I don't know what I did to deserve you. You always have told me that I don't need to change, and that I'm beautiful the way I am. And yet, I didn't seem to listen to a word you said."

"Hey, I'm not perfect at all. We both know I've screwed up a lot…especially these last couple of months…forgetting about you at times."

Gabriella leaned up and kissed him on his jawline. "All forgiven and in the past."

Troy's lips curled into a smile. "You made the decision to change back on your own though?"

Troy felt Gabriella nod into his chest. "Yeah, I realized from what you had said and from something Anthony had said that it was my stupid insecurities driving all of those decisions. I realized I don't need to dress like that to gain the attention of others…that I should be comfortable with who I am. Plus I was so freakin uncomfortable in all those clothes and make-up."

Troy laughed. "I don't blame you," he said causing her to giggle.

"So anyways, that was what the last discussion with my parents was about. They said that I should have given it more time, and I'd never get you back if I changed again. And I finally decided that I had had enough. I told them that I was going to dress the way I wanted, not the way them or anyone else thought I should. And when they said that I would lose you if I did that, I told them that I wasn't gonna change even for that. Besides…I knew deep down that you would never think that I needed to change in order to be beautiful."

Troy gently kissed her temple. "I'm so proud of you Gabi."

"Thanks. And I know that all of this with my parents and their opinions along with my insecurities isn't going to easily just go away. But I am starting to believe what you and a few others have told me. And I am going to not let what everyone else says change who I am," she finished as Troy dropped a kiss on the top of her head.

Troy gently scooted away and stood up, suddenly getting an idea. He ignored her confused look and extended his hand to her, with a smile plastered on his face.

"Come on. I want to go somewhere." Gabriella tentatively placed her hand into his, and let him pull her up. Troy interlaced their fingers and led her towards the back door of her house. "One sec," he said as he rushed towards the family room, letting Carlos and Anna know where they were going. After Carlos and Anna agreed, and told him they'd call his parents, Troy walked back to where he left Gabriella near the kitchen.

"Okay, let's go." Troy grabbed her hand and laced his fingers through hers before pulling her out the back door.

"Where are we going?" She asked as they walked across the street towards his house.

"It's a surprise. No hints," Troy winked at her, knowing she was going to bug him for a hint.

Gabriella rolled her eyes, yet hopped into the front seat after Troy opened the door to his car for her. Troy ran around to the driver's side and got in, backing out of the driveway, and speeding down the street.

"Don't worry," Troy told her, while intertwining their fingers. "You're going to love it."

Almost an hour later, Troy pulled into a parking spot, nudging Gabriella who had fallen asleep.

"We're here," Troy whispered in her ear, before kissing her cheek.

"And here is?" Gabriella questioned, looking around. "Encinitas!?"

"Yep!" Troy grinned. "Let's go." Troy opened his door, and ran around to the other side, opening the door for her, and helping her out of the car.

Troy noticed her shiver slightly. "One sec," he said while dropping her hand. He popped the trunk and grabbed out a sweatshirt for himself, and his letterman's jacket for Gabriella. He wrapped it around her shoulders and allowed her to put it on, before grabbing her hand once more.

"Now we can go."

He led her down the street, and bought the two a bag of tacos from the taco shop, before leading her down to Moonlight Beach. The two walked along, hand in hand and stopped once they reached their favorite spot. Troy sat down, leaning against a rock, and pulled Gabriella down to sit in between his legs. She leaned back onto his chest, causing Troy to grin and gently kiss her shoulder. The two quickly ate their dinner before they snuggled up together, looking out on the moon lit ocean and listening to the waves crash in the distance.

"I love this place," Gabriella sighed in contentment.

"Me too. Remember the time we came here two summers ago when we stayed at the condo?"

"The time when Adam was trying to impress that girl he met from the condo next door?"

"Yeah, and we photoshopped that picture of him in a speedo and slid it under her door."

The two busted up in fits of laughter.

"That was so hilarious," Gabriella said once the laughter had died down. "Remember the summer when we came here and we took surfing lessons?"

"Yeah, that was summer before 5th grade. I remember Chad came down one day, and joined us for our surf lesson."

Gabriella giggled. "Uh-huh. He couldn't stay up for the life of him."

"I remember laughing so hard when he screamed like a girl when his foot touched some seaweed, cause he thought it was a shark."

The two erupted in fits of laughter once more. Troy pulled her closer to his body, wrapping one arm around the front of her shoulders and interlacing his other hand with hers as she leaned into his embrace. Troy leaned forward and brushed his lips against her cheek.

"Remember our first date here?" He whispered against her cheek, grinning.

"Of course. That was one of the best nights of my life," she said honestly, turning her head to capture his lips. "That was the night you gave me courtside Lakers tickets."

Troy laughed and poked her side, causing her to squirm. "And here I thought it was the best night of your life because you spent it with me. I should have known the Lakers would come first."

Gabriella giggled, and shifted so she was leaning her head against his chest, hands still intertwined and his arm still around her shoulders. She pressed a light kiss to his chest. "Nah, it was one of the best nights of my life because it was our first date. I'd never thought my dream of dating you would come true. But look at us now. I don't know what I'd do without you Troy."

"Me either Gabi. I don't know what I'd do without you. I love you so much." Troy rubbed his hand up and down her back.

"I love you too Troy." They both leaned in at the same time, pressing their lips together and savoring the moment.

"So, my Lakers fanatic," Troy began as they pulled apart. "Would you be opposed to history repeating itself?"

"What are you talking about?"

Troy smiled and dropped her hand, digging into his pocket before pulling out an envelope. He reached into it and held up two tickets in front of her. "You up for another game?"

"Yes!" Gabriella exclaimed, wrapping her arms around his neck in a grateful hug. "When?"

"Two weeks. Lakers are playing the Spurs, and you and I have courtside seats."

Gabriella pressed multiple kisses to his cheek. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Heck yes! We're going to another game."

"I know. The Lakers cheerleaders will be only a few feet away." Troy joked, wincing as Gabriella punched him on his arm.

"You jerk!"

"I'm kidding," Troy exclaimed, holding his hands up in surrender. "Besides, those girls don't come even close to measuring up to you. You're way more beautiful to me," he said causing her to blush.

"Did I ever tell you how adorable you are when you blush like that?" Gabriella blushed even more at his words, and buried her face in his chest. "Come here," Troy said as he pulled her up so she was sitting on his lap.

Troy ran one hand through her hair, while holding her waist with the other as Gabriella wrapped her arms around his neck, tangling her fingers in his hair. Troy leaned closer and rubbed his nose affectionately against hers.

"I love you Troy," she whispered against his lips.

"I love you too Gabi," he whispered before brushing his lips against hers for a few sweet kisses. He gently pulled her with him down to lay back on the sand before deepening the kiss. Sparks flew through both of their bodies as they relished the moment of being together in the arms of the person they loved the most.

* * *

**AN: I hope you guys enjoyed this. Thank you so much for all the reviews last chapter! Only a couple more chapters of this left. Let me know what you thought. And if you haven't already, check out my twoshot, "A Night to Remember". The second part should be posted within the next few days. **


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

The East High gymnasium was roaring—the bleachers were shaking as the students were jumping up and down in anticipation of what was to come. It was Wednesday night and the last regular season game for both the men's and women's teams against the rival West High Knights. Both East High and West High had the best records in the league for basketball. The East High men's team was in first place, while the East High women's team was in second place. However both Wildcat teams had the chance to clinch the division that night with a win.

Gabriella finished tightening the laces on her red and white adidas shoes. She pulled her two red and white adidas wristbands up her forearm, resting inches below each elbow. She turned off her ipod and put it safely in her locker, before signaling to the rest of her teammates that it was time. Gabriella called them all to the center of the locker room—the girls joining in a huddle.

"Alright girls, this is it. This is what we've worked towards all season. Now either way we're going to the playoffs, but tonight is about the pride of winning league." Gabriella scanned the huddle looking into the eyes of each player, letting them see her confidence as their captain. "We've beat this team before, and we can do it again. Stay focused and in the game. Let's win this."

Gabriella placed her hand in the center, the other girls placing theirs on top of hers. "Wildcats on three. 1-2-3…"

"WILDCATS!" The girls all yelled. Gabriella jogged towards the door leading from the locker room into the gym. She grabbed a ball off the rack before pushing the door open and sprinting out, her team following in a line as the crowd erupted.

After leading the team around the court twice, she led them to their side where they split into two sides to do lay-up drills. Gabriella drove in and easily laid one in. As she got into the rebound line, she spotted Troy in the corner of the gym, leaning his back against the wall. Troy gave her a wink and beamed causing her to smile back.

* * *

"Jenson steals the ball. Pass ahead to Montez. And Montez sinks the three-pointer from the corner! East High leads by six, and that's 41 points for Gabriella Montez, tying her career high. Two more points and she will have the new women's record for total points in a game."

With less than two minutes left in the game, the score was 71-65 in favor of the Wildcats. Gabriella was having one of the best games of her life. She had only missed three shots the entire game, and she had racked up two steals, seven assists, and five rebounds in addition to her 41 points.

Gabriella darted back down the court and got into her defensive position, yelling out instructions to her teammates.

"West High dribbles the ball up the court. Pass to Rivers, and it's stolen by Montez!"

Gabriella dribbled quickly downcourt, peering over her shoulder to see a West High player chasing after her. Once she reached the key, she dribbled once more before picking the ball up, taking two steps, and leaping up while extending her hand towards the basket for a lay-up. She watched as she laid it off the glass, but suddenly felt something slam into her. Gabriella tensed up as she flew towards the wall at the end of the court. She hit the wall hard, a West High player's body slamming hers into it.

Gabriella slumped to the ground, holding onto her shoulder, while feeling a sharp pain in her ankle. She faintly heard the announcer say she made the basket before closing her eyes.

* * *

Troy stood in the corner of the gym, leaning against the bleachers. He stood up straight and cheered when he saw Gabriella steal the ball.

"Come on Gabi!"

Troy clapped when he saw the ball fall through but his jaw dropped and panic spread through him as he saw Gabriella get slammed into the wall. Troy immediately sprinted from his place over to the baseline where he saw his girlfriend laying flat on the floor. He kneeled down beside her, putting one hand to her cheek.

"Gabi! Gabi, come on baby." Troy rubbed his thumb gently over her cheek, whispering to her as he saw her eyes blink open. Immediately he saw her grimace in pain.

"Where's it hurt baby?" Troy moved some hair from her face, a worried look in his eyes.

"Shoulder and ankle," Gabriella said through gritted teeth.

Troy moved over slightly as the East High trainer came over to look over her injuries.

"It's her left shoulder and right ankle sir," Troy informed him. He nodded and removed Gabriella's shoe and sock before putting his hands on her ankle, examining it.

"Seems like a sprain Gabriella. Let me take a quick look at your shoulder, can you sit up?"

Gabriella nodded and Troy grabbed her good arm, gently helping her sit up. After looking at the shoulder, the trainer helped Troy stand Gabriella up as the East High crowd cheered.

"Okay Gabriella. Neither of the injuries looks too serious. You will definitely be sore, but you should be okay."

"Can I still play?" Gabriella asked looking from her trainer to her coach who had been standing there with her the whole time.

"If you feel like you can walk on your ankle, you should be okay. Let's get you to the bench real quick and I'll tape it up and you can test it out. Since your left shoulder is the one that is injured, you should be okay to shoot."

Gabriella felt a small smile come on her face for the first time in a few minutes. She felt Troy give a reassuring squeeze to her hand that he was holding in his. Troy wrapped her arm around his shoulder and led her over to the bench, helping her sit down.

Minutes later she was all taped up, and walking on her ankle in slight pain.

"You sure about this Gabriella?" Her coach asked, looking down at her ankle.

"I'll be fine Coach. I need to finish this game." The coach nodded, putting a smile on Gabriella's face.

Troy walked up to her and held out his fist for her to pound.

"Congrats on that scoring record," Troy said as he enveloped her in a hug, putting a huge smile on her face as she realized she had done it. "Now go get that Championship Montez," Troy pounded her fist beaming. Gabriella nodded and Troy winked at her before jogging back over to his place by the bleachers.

Gabriella walked back out on the court towards the free throw line to attempt to complete the three-point play with a free throw.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we wanted to inform everyone that Gabriella Montez has just made the history books here at East High. She now holds the record for most points scored in a game with 43 points," the announcer said as the crowd erupted in applause.

Gabriella took a deep breath before walking up to the free throw line, trying not to let the hype from her new scoring record distract her from helping her team win the Championships.

The referee bounced the ball to her, and Gabriella caught it with ease. She looked up at the basket, taking a deep breath. She dribbled three times before bending her knees, taking one more deep breath, and letting the ball release towards the basket.

The crowd erupted once more, seeing the ball sink through the net, putting East High up by nine points with less than a minute to play. West High quickly dribbled downcourt. The point guard tossed the ball into their center who was backing Katie down. The player spun around, attempting to shoot over Katie, but Katie reached up her hand and blocked away the shot, an East High team member picking the ball up before passing it to Gabriella.

Gabriella dribbled across half court before passing it to her teammate. The East High players were passing the ball around the top of the three-point line trying to run out the shot clock and avoid being fouled. Gabriella saw there was only seven seconds left on the shot clock, so she cut through the key, getting a bounce pass from her teammate. She sailed through the air, faking a lay-up before passing the ball behind her back to Katie who was to her left.

Just as she was passing it, Gabriella was hit again—this time across her bad shoulder. She grimaced as she found herself falling to the ground once again. She quickly got up after receiving a hand up from two of her teammates.

She glanced over at Troy, who once again was looking on with worry. Suddenly she heard some taunting from a West High fan in the bleachers.

"Gonna be a baby again Montez? Let's go you wimp. I don't have all day." Troy felt the anger rise up in his body, threatening to lash out. He clenched his fist as he spotted the jeering fan, sitting courtside in the bleachers adjacent to him. "Scoring title huh? Well congratulations you ball hog."

Troy stepped closer to where the guy was sitting. He knew he couldn't do anything that would get him into trouble because his game was next. Troy dribbled his ball and got an evil look in his eye. He stepped a few feet closer.

Spinning the ball on his finger, Troy pretended to lose control of it. He quickly batted the ball around looking as if he was trying to gain control before "accidentally" swatting it towards the jeering fan.

The man groaned and grimaced in pain, putting a hand to his head.

Gabriella laughed watching the whole scene unfold. Troy looked up at her and sent her a small wink.

"Aw dang. I'm sorry. You alright," Troy asked in a fake innocent voice. Troy stepped a little closer and lowered his voice to a whisper. "Hey, you better think twice next time before taunting my girl." Troy grabbed his basketball from the guy and walked back over to his spot.

Gabriella smiled at her boyfriend's protectiveness. She stepped up to the free throw line since West High was out of fouls. After easily sinking them both, she ran back down court for defense. With only thirty-eight seconds left, West High dribbled quickly downcourt and tried a desperation three-point shot. Gabriella watched as the ball bounced off the rim right into the hands of Katie.

Gabriella quickly ran over to her. "Katie!" Gabriella called out clapping her hands, indicating she wanted the ball.

Katie quickly passed it to her. Looking up at the clock and seeing there were only twenty-four seconds left, she dribbled across half court and passed the ball to a teammate. East High continued to pass it around the top of the three point line, avoiding being fouled, before tossing it to Gabriella again. Gabriella watched as the clock counted down from five seconds, dribbling around a West High player to avoid being fouled before throwing the ball up in celebration as the buzzer sounded.

Immediately she felt herself be surrounded by her teammates, as they all joined in a huge hug. She grimaced, feeling her shoulder being squished by a few of her teammates, but shrugged it off, the adrenaline from the victory overpowering the pain. She smiled, catching a glimpse of her coach holding the championship trophy in the air passing it towards her. Gabriella reached out and grabbed it, and all her teammates put their hands on it as well, lifting it into the air as the crowd erupted in cheers.

After a few more seconds, the East High team separated and walked over to exchange high-fives with the West High team. After getting through the line, Gabriella turned only to find herself in a bone crushing hug moments later.

Gabriella smiled and breathed in the scent of her boyfriend, letting herself relax in his embrace. She giggled feeling herself being lifted off the ground and spun around.

"Awesome game Gabi! You. were. incredible." Troy breathed out punctuating each word with a kiss to each cheek, before capturing her lips with his. They both smiled into the kiss, and Gabriella wrapped her arms around Troy's neck. A few moments later they pulled apart and Troy gently let Gabriella down, but kept his arms wrapped tightly around her waist.

The two stared at each other and felt smiles erupt on their faces.

"You really played an amazing game," Troy complimented her once more. "How's the shoulder and ankle? Oh crap, I didn't hurt you did I?" Troy asked suddenly realized he'd been so caught up in the moment that he forgot about her injuries.

Gabriella placed her hand on Troy's arm, in attempts to calm him. "It's fine Troy. You didn't hurt me," Gabriella gave him a reassuring smile that was infectious, causing Troy to smile as well.

"Great game Gabi!" Gabriella turned around, feeling someone pat her back. She smiled at the girl behind her.

"Thanks Katie! You played an awesome game as well." Gabriella grinned, feeling an arm sling around her shoulders. She wrapped hers around Troy's waist, looking up to send him a small smile and blushing at the way he was beaming at her. She reached up and interlaced her fingers with his, still amazed at the way such a small act could cause butterflies to fill her.

"Great game Katie!" Troy extended his hand that wasn't intertwined with Gabriella's, and gave her a high-five.

"Thanks Troy! Good luck tonight!" Katie looked up and saw Josh standing behind them, a nervous smile on his face. Katie gave them each a small smile before walking over to Josh.

Troy and Gabriella turned around and smiled as they saw Josh wrap Katie in a big hug, smiles painted on both of their faces.

"Hey, it's time for you to go win your Championship now," Gabriella told Troy, turning to face him as she glanced up at the clock.

"I guess it is huh?" Troy admitted, wrapping his arms more tightly around her waist.

"Mhmm. Now, you already won the scoring title last year, and if you get it again, I'll call you a ball hog," she joked jabbing him lightly in the side. "Because that would be almost fifty points or more, and that my friend is insane." Troy laughed. "But, go lead your team and win this game."

Troy leaned down and placed his forehead against hers. "You got it," he breathed against her lips before placing his on hers for a few moments. Troy pulled her into one more hug, and then pounded fists with her before darting into the men's locker room to lead his team out onto the court.

Gabriella walked over to the side of the bleachers and gathered around some of her teammates, yelling for the boys' team and holding out her hand to give each a high five as they circled around the court. She watched as Troy ran in and laid the ball off the glass to begin the warm ups, exchanging one more high-five with him as he ran by. Looking up in the bleachers, she spotted her family sitting next to the Bolton's and the Jenson's, along with a few of her friends.

"Hey Gabs," Gabriella looked back to the court to see Chad jogging towards her after making his lay-up. "Great game!"

"Thanks Chad! Good luck tonight!" Chad grinned as the two exchanged a high-five before he ran to get back in line.

Gabriella picked her bag up, and went to the women's locker room. A few minutes later, after showering and getting dressed in her white Wildcat's warm up pants, red Wildcats t-shirt, and white warm up jacket, she walked back out into the gym and towards her family seated a few rows behind the Wildcats bench.

After many congratulations and hugs from the Boltons and her family, Gabriella took a seat, Anthony to her left, Sharpay to her right, and her baby sister Emilee in her lap. She laughed noticing the Wildcats #14 jersey Emilee was wearing, supporting both her and Troy.

The buzzer sounded indicating that the game was about to begin. She smiled, her eyes glued to Troy as he walked over to the bench, taking off his warm-ups and tucking in his jersey. He looked up at her and winked while sending a little wave to Emilee, who Gabriella was holding up so she was facing him.

The teams walked out to center court for the jump ball. Zeke walked into the circle lining up across from the West High center—Chad to his left, Jason to his right, Troy behind him, and Brett, the other East High player on the opposite side of Troy ready to break ahead. The referee threw the ball up, and Zeke easily controlled the tip, tipping it behind him to Troy. Troy quickly took a few dribbles before passing the ball downcourt to Brett, who was darting towards the basket. Brett easily caught it in stride, put it down for one dribble, before sailing in for an easy lay-up.

The East High team ran back to get on defense, exchanging high-fives on their way down. Troy got down in his defensive stance as the West High point guard dribbled towards him. Troy kept his eye on the ball, and reached in as the guy attempted to cross over. Troy easily poked it away and ran downcourt. West High's other guard sprinted down on defense, ready to stop Troy. Troy got closer and smoothly dribbled around his back before laying the ball up with his left hand.

Gabriella smiled knowingly as she watched Troy. He was definitely on top of his game, and she knew there was no way he was going to let the Wildcats lose the Championship.

* * *

Troy wiped the sweat off his brow with the back of his forearm. Glancing up at the clock, he let a grin form on his face seeing there were only 30 seconds left and his team had a comfortable lead of 73-57. Troy watched as the West High point guard heaved a pass into the corner to the West guard for a 3-point attempt. Chad ran towards him and reached his hand up, blocking the shot. The ball bounced towards Jason, who quickly picked it up and passed it to Troy down court. Troy dribbled the clock out, excitedly throwing the ball in the air as the buzzer sounded.

Chad and Troy happily took the trophy from Jack as he handed it to them, before raising it up in the air in triumph causing the crowd to roar once again. Troy glanced towards the bleachers behind the East High bench and saw Gabriella hurrying down the steps towards the court. He handed the trophy fully over to Chad and darted out of the crowd that had gathered at center court.

Troy chuckled to himself seeing Gabriella get frustrated having to go slow due to her ankle. Troy met her at the bottom of the steps, and Gabriella jumped into Troy's arms. Troy spun her around a few times as she hugged him tightly around the neck, planting a kiss on his cheek.

"Awesome game Troy! A triple-double again!? That's the second time this season!"

Troy grinned, letting her slide back down to the floor, but keeping a tight hold on her waist.

"Thanks!"

"Congrats on the championship! Looks like now I won't be able to gloat though. That sucks." Gabriella joked.

Troy laughed and leaned down, brushing his nose lightly across hers. Gently he covered her lips with his, smiling as he felt her pull him closer bringing him into a more passionate kiss.

The two pulled apart after a few moments, smiles seemingly plastered on their faces.

"Come on," Troy said, taking her hand and lacing his fingers through hers. "We have a post-game celebration dinner to get to." Troy led her over to their families, accepting all the hugs and congratulations before excusing himself to run and change promising to meet Gabriella at his car.

"Well that was quick," Gabriella said as Troy walked out of the gymnasium, his bag slung over his shoulder, his hair slightly damp from his shower, dressed in dark blue jeans, a black t-shirt, and his white Wildcats warm-up jacket.

Troy smirked. "I couldn't leave you out here all night," he said strolling towards her, taking her bag and putting both of their bags in the back seat. He then proceeded to open her door, waiting till she got in, before closing the door and jogging over to the driver's side.

"So where are we meeting them at?" Troy asked, putting the keys in the ignition and starting the car.

"California Pizza Kitchen," Gabriella responded, reaching over to turn the stereo up.

"Heck freakin yeah!" Troy cheered before pulling out of the parking lot.

Ten minutes later the two pulled into the parking lot and walked hand-in-hand into the restaurant. Spotting their families at a back table, Gabriella lightly tugged on Troy's hand pulling him towards the back of the restaurant.

"Hey kids!" Lucille greeted, giving them each a hug before sitting back down.

"What took you two so long, huh? We've been here for quite a while." Adam teased them, rubbing his side after getting an elbow to the ribs from Lucille.

"Oh," Gabriella began, patting Troy on the chest. "Troy here took _forever_ in the bathroom."

Everyone chuckled while Troy sent an incredulous look towards Gabriella.

"Kidding! I love you." She said, quickly attempting to save herself, wrapping both arms around his waist, burying her head in his chest.

Troy chuckled, placing a kiss on the top of her head, while wrapping his own arms tightly around her.

"Come on, let's sit down," Troy suggested leading her over to the two empty seats. Troy pulled out the chair for Gabriella that was next to Emilee, and helped her scoot it in after she took a seat. He then walked over to Emilee and kissed her cheek, causing the little girl to smile.

"Nice jersey cutie," Troy complimented, tickling her sides before taking his seat in between Gabriella and Aaron.

"Hi sweetie. You played really great tonight," Anna said to Gabriella. Troy glanced over at her and saw the nervous smile she forced on her face. Gabriella hadn't spoken with her parents too much since their fight a few days earlier. Troy reached over and picked up Gabriella's hand under the table, interlacing their fingers, and resting their hands on his knee.

"Thanks mom," Gabriella finally said, thankful for the support from Troy.

"How's your shoulder and ankle Gabi?" Her dad asked, joining in the conversation.

"They hurt a little bit, but they're doing alright. The trainer put some icy hot on them both and my ankle is still wrapped up. Hopefully it won't be swollen too much tomorrow."

"That was quite the play Gabi!" Anthony said, setting his drink down. "I still can't believe you managed to make that shot while being hit that hard."

"Thanks."

"And 46 points!?" Aaron exclaimed. Troy stared at the girl next to him who was blushing as he was beaming with pride for her.

"Yeah, dang Gabs. You were making everything tonight. I bet you could've killed Troy if you two were playing one-on-one." Adam chimed in.

"Actually, she probably could've," Troy admitted.

"Shall we test this theory?" Gabriella smirked at Troy.

"Nope," Troy said leaning down to softly kiss her cheek. "You are injured, and I will not let you play until that ankle and shoulder are fully healed. We have playoffs in a few weeks."

"You're just scared." Gabriella teased.

"Maybe." Troy winked at her and focused his attention on the menu as the waitress began to take their orders.

* * *

Troy parked his car in Gabriella's driveway after dinner and then went around to the passenger side of his car, opening the door for Gabriella. He quickly grabbed her bag and slung it over his shoulder before interlacing their fingers and leading her up to the front door.

"So I'll come by in a little bit?" Troy double checked once they stopped in front of the door.

"Yeah. That sounds good."

Troy took her bag off his shoulder and placed it on the ground next to the door, before wrapping both arms around her waist and pulling her close.

"I'm so proud of you. You played such a good game tonight. I knew you'd get that scoring title for girls' ball at East High."

Gabriella shifted her gaze to her feet, blushing from Troy's words.

"Hey," Troy grinned and cupped her chin in his hand returning her gaze to his face. "You were amazing." Troy kissed her lips lightly.

"Thanks, so were you." Troy smiled at her compliment.

"Put some ice on that ankle alright?"

Gabriella nodded, before pulling herself closer to Troy and burying her head in his chest.

"I'll see you in a while." Gabriella told him as they pulled apart. She picked up her bag, and opened the door, waving at Troy as he walked down the steps towards his car.

Gabriella went upstairs and dropped her bag in her room. Walking downstairs, she went into the kitchen to grab a drink.

"Gabriella, is that you?" Gabriella closed the fridge and walked towards the family room.

"Yeah Dad, it's me. What's up?"

"Can you come in here for a second? Your mom and I want to talk with you." Gabriella groaned and rolled her eyes before trudging into the family room.

The moment she saw her parents, she knew from the look in their eyes that she was in for another talk. Reluctantly, she sat down on the couch across from her parents, trying to get comfortable in spite of her nervousness.

Her parents had barely said a word to her since the night of their big discussion. Only a few 'hello's", "goodbye's", and "have a nice day's" had been exchanged, aside from the congratulations she received earlier in the evening. Other than that, the past few days had been filled with awkward silences. And Gabriella definitely wanted to be anywhere other than in the family room about to start this conversation.

"Gabi," Anna called out bringing Gabriella out of her thoughts. "We wanted to talk to you." Gabriella subtly rolled her eyes. "About the other night."

Gabriella sighed. "Guys, I really don't want to get into another of these talks. Can't we just let all these conversations go? I know you both want me to change the way I dress, but I don't want to. If I ever decide to do that again, it's going to be because I want to, and not because someone else says I should. I'm fine with me being this way, my friends are fine with me being this way, and Troy is fine with me being this way. I've found a guy that doesn't care that I don't dress more girlie. I have a guy who loves me like I am. And that should please you both."

Gabriella avoided eye contact with her parents, finding the designs on the coffee table much more interesting.

"Listen Gabi," Carlos began. "We wanted to apologize for what we said the other night. We didn't know that you were hurt that much by our opinions and what we have said to you."

"Yeah, listen sweetie. We may not agree with you on the way you dress, but we should never make you feel that you aren't good enough—that you aren't loved," Anna said, scooting to the edge of the couch and looking at Gabriella, hoping she'd look up.

"So you still think I need to change?" Gabriella asked them finally looking up.

Carlos took a deep breath. "Gabi, yes we still wish you would dress more like a girl. But we're really sorry for making you feel that you aren't good enough over the years. We love you so much, and we really just want what's best for you."

"I know you guys love me. And I know you want what is best for me. I just want you to realize that Troy is what's best for me. I know you both know how great of a guy is. So just believe him and me when we say that we are both more than fine with the way I dress."

Anna stood up and walked over to sit next to Gabriella on the couch. She tentatively placed a hand on her knee before beginning. "We understand that Gabi. And we will try to keep these opinions to ourselves. We never knew how much it was hurting you. I'm sorry sweetie."

Anna hesitantly placed her arm around Gabriella's shoulders and pulled her into a hug.

Gabriella returned the hug before standing up to walk to her room. She was stopped as she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry too sweetheart," Carlos told her, stepping around her so he could be face to face with her. "I really never meant to hurt you."

Gabriella nodded, feeling a few tears threaten to fall as she saw the sincerity in her parents' eyes. She felt herself being pulled into a hug, and relaxed, hugging her dad back. She knew that not everything could get better in one night. Her parents still had their opinions, and no doubt they would come out once in awhile. But at least they were starting to see the pain they had caused her. It was a start.

"Alright, well I'm going to head up to my room…watch the rest of the Lakers' game." Gabriella told them as she pulled away from her dad, picking up her drink from the table.

"I'm assuming Troy's coming over then?" Anna asked, smirking knowingly.

Gabriella blushed in response. "Yeah, he should be here in a few minutes. I'll see you in the morning. Night Mom and Dad."

"Goodnight sweetie," she heard them both say as she walked into the kitchen, grabbing an ice pack before going upstairs.

Gabriella pushed open her bedroom door and flopped down on her bed, quickly turning the TV to the channel the game was on and propping her foot up with some ice on it. Mere seconds later she heard something land on the balcony, and grinned as she saw Troy walk through the door, shutting it quietly behind him.

"Hey," Troy greeted, climbing onto the bed next to her.

"Hi," Gabriella said, leaning forward as Troy wrapped his arm around her shoulder before leaning back into his embrace.

Troy kissed her temple and returned his focus to the game.

"We're down 89-80 huh?" Troy asked rhetorically . "You think on our championship night, they wouldn't make us suffer a loss right? Gonna make my night end on a depressing note."

Gabriella laughed at Troy's complaining, but soon joined in. "I know right? One of my best games ever, and then I have to come home to see this!"

"You'd think they would have gotten the memo." Gabriella cracked up at his sarcastic comment.

"One would think." Gabriella added, smiling as Kobe broke ahead for a break away dunk. "So I talked with my parents again."

Troy got a worried expression on his face as he turned to face her a little better. "What'd they say?"

"They actually apologized." Troy's jaw dropped. "I know right? I never thought they would."

"So are they going to leave you alone about your style now?"

Gabriella shook her head. "I doubt it. They still have those same opinions as before. But I think they are going to minimize these discussions. They realize how much they hurt me, and them stopping those is good enough for me."

Troy kissed her cheek and brought her down to rest her face on his chest while watching the game. "Well I hope they leave you alone more often. You look gorgeous by the way." Troy complimented her white warm ups that she had been wearing all evening.

"Thanks Troy. You don't look too bad yourself." She sent him a grin, admiring his black basketball shorts and red hooded sweatshirt he had changed into.

They both turned their attention back to the game, just in time to see Kobe throw an alley-oop pass to Gasol, who slammed the ball through the hoop.

"Beautiful! Comin' back!" Gabriella cheered and exchanged a high-five with Troy.

"In less than two weeks Gabi, you and I are gonna be courtside seeing that up close."

Gabriella leaned up and kissed his cheek. "I can't wait." Troy grinned and softly captured her lips with his.

"Me either."

* * *

**AN: Thank you everyone so much for the reviews last chapter. It reached over 200, which is well over my expectations for this story. I can't thank you guys enough. I really appreciate it. Also, I decided there will be two more chapters after this one, so I hope you all enjoy the rest of this story. Thank you so much once again! Leave your thoughts on the chapter, cause I love reading them. **

**Oh, and the second part to A Night to Remember should be up soon, along with a twilight oneshot for anyone who is a twilight fan. :)**


	17. Chapter 17

**AN: I'm so sorry for thetwo week wait for this chapter. I had a busy week last week, and then went on vacation and didn't have a way to post this. So here it is. ONe more chapter after this. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. **

* * *

**Chapter 17**

Troy walked down the hallways of East High, exchanging a few high-fives with some of his classmates—everyone still on a high from the men's and women's championship wins the week before.

He smiled seeing his girlfriend busy grabbing books out of her locker. Troy quietly walked up behind her, slipping his arms around her waist from behind while placing a kiss on her shoulder.

"Hi Troy," she said, giggling as he rested his chin on her shoulder, pulling her more tightly into his chest.

"Hey. You ready to go?"

"Yeah." Gabriella shut her locker and spun around in Troy's arms, leaning up and giving him a quick kiss. "Let's go."

Troy grinned and waited for her to grab her bag. After she had slung it over her shoulder, Troy reached down and grabbed her hand, interlacing their fingers before heading out towards his car.

Ten minutes later, the two walked into Gabriella's house, hand-in-hand. Troy waited for Gabriella to put her things in her room before taking her hand and leading her into the kitchen.

"Hey kids," Lucille greeted.

"Hey mom, what are you doing over here?" Troy asked while giving her and Anna each a side hug.

"Anna and I were just discussing what we were doing this weekend for Valentine's day. Carlos is taking Anna out to dinner Saturday night in Long Beach, and they are staying the night. And your dad is taking me out that night too. We figured you kids are going out together that night, but we are trying to figure out who can watch Emilee. Michael and Tyler are both going to friends' houses that night, so it would just be Emilee."

Troy glanced towards Gabriella as the two silently communicated with their eyes, causing Anna and Lucille to grin. Troy shrugged as Gabriella nodded her head.

"Well, Gabi and I are actually celebrating Valentine's Day on Friday night at the Lakers game. We're free on Saturday if you want us to watch the Emilee." Troy offered. Gabriella smiled and walked over to Troy, wrapping her arm around his waist.

"Yeah, we both have basketball practice Saturday morning. So we were just planning on relaxing and hanging out on Saturday night. We'd be happy to take care of Emilee that night."

Anna and Lucille looked at each other and exchanged smiles. "That'd be great Gabi and Troy. Thank you for offering to help us out," Anna told them. "Now, Carlos and I won't be back until sometime during the day on Sunday. So Troy, you can stay here overnight with Gabi and Emilee."

"No funny business you two," Lucille chimed in prompting Troy to roll his eyes. Gabriella jabbed him lightly in the side, and he shrugged innocently unable to hide the smile forming on his face thinking about the weekend. He couldn't wait for it to come.

* * *

Troy jumped out of his car and ran up to the front door. Before he could knock on the door, it swung open and he came face to face with his beautiful girlfriend.

"Hey, you ready?"

Gabriella nodded. "Bye Mom! Bye Dad! See you tomorrow!" Gabriella yelled into the house before stepping outside. After shutting the door, she immediately threw her arms around Troy's neck. Troy smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist, lifting her slightly off the ground.

After a few moments, Troy let her slide down his body back to the ground. Pulling his head back slightly, one hand still wrapped around her waist, he admired her outfit.

"Nice hat," Troy commented, reaching up and tugging on her Lakers hat with one hand causing her to grin.

"Sweet shirt." She laughed, tugging on the bottom of his white Lakers t-shirt. Troy smiled and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, helping her into his car before driving off towards LA.

A few hours later they arrived at the Staples Center, both ecstatic to be able to attend another game having great seats.

Troy reached behind him and gently grabbed Gabriella's hand, tugging her through the hundreds of avid Lakers' fans. After being escorted to their seats, the two sat down with wide eyes, still pinching themselves in disbelief.

"We're courtside right now," Troy said, turning to Gabriella. "On the Lakers' floor, watching this game. Unbelievable," he muttered, his eyes fixed on the Lakers' emblem painted on the floor a few feet away.

"Well don't go kissing the floor or anything," Gabriella joked.

"Don't tell me the thought hasn't crossed your mind." Troy turned to her, his eyebrows raised.

"Okay, you're right. It has. But, I think running out onto the court and getting down on our knees to kiss it would not only attract the attention of everyone in Staples center and possibly on TV as well, but it would also be utterly embarrassing and slightly disgusting."

"Good point. I'll hold you back, if you'll return the favor." Troy said, a grin on his face.

"Deal." The two shook on it, and Troy tugged Gabriella a little closer, wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

* * *

Troy and Gabriella jumped to their feet along with the thousands of others in attendance as the Lakers took the lead by three points with a less than six minutes left in the fourth quarter.

Gabriella gave Troy a high five as the two took their seats while the Spurs team dribbled up court. The game had been close all night long, and the atmosphere was intense as a result.

A Spurs' player quickly drove towards the basket, but the ball was poked away by Kobe from behind. The ball grazed off of a Spurs' player and bounced straight towards where Gabriella and Troy were sitting. One of the Spurs players took off after the ball.

Troy saw the ball and player coming straight towards them. The ball bounced over their seats, into the crowd behind them, the player still coming at them. Troy pulled Gabriella into his chest before protectively covering her body with his as the player tried to hurdle over them, unable to stop.

The player cleared the first row of chairs and landed in the aisle behind them. Troy glanced behind him, and seeing everything was clear, he let Gabriella back up.

"Hey, you okay?" Troy asked, worried he may have jerked her too hard.

A smile erupted on Gabriella's face and she leaned up, kissing Troy softly.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks." Troy blushed a little causing Gabriella to giggle, their moment short lived as the game resumed.

The two leaned back comfortably in their seats after a timeout had been called with two minutes left in the game and the Lakers up by five.

"Okay fans. It's that time again. Keep your eyes on the screen as you and that special someone may be picked."

Gabriella and Troy simultaneously rolled their eyes when "Kiss Me" by Sixpence None the Richer began to ring through the arena speakers. They laughed at the screen as a small four year old boy pecked the cheek of the little girl sitting next to him, with some encouragement from his parents, the little girl wiping her face in disgust.

Gabriella's face turned bright red as she saw her and Troy on the screen. She looked at Troy skeptically, obviously really embarrassed to kiss Troy with thousands of people watching. Troy laughed when she shifted away from him, shaking her head, her face still flushed. He reached over, placing his fingers under her chin and pulling her closer. His lips crashed down on hers, and moments later they were both lost in the kiss. A few whistles from the crowd brought them out of their intimate moment, a blush gracing both of their features.

"What was that?" Gabriella asked, flustered from both enjoying the kiss and being embarrassed that thousands of people saw it.

Troy shrugged innocently, a cheeky smile forming on his face. "Can't I kiss my beautiful girlfriend?"

"In front of this many people?"

"Seemed like a good time." Troy smiled and gently rubbed her hand, allowing her to weave her fingers through his. "Was it bad?" Troy asked, a worried look on his face.

"Are you kidding?" Gabriella smiled. "Never. It was perfect. I'm just not sure how I feel about all these people seeing that."

"Who cares about them?" Troy tried to soothe her, rubbing his thumb over the top of her hand. "You look beautiful," Troy gently tugged on her hat, his smile contagious. "And, you're kissing the best looking guy in this place."

Gabriella laughed and punched him lightly in his shoulder, laying her head there seconds later. Troy kissed the top of her head, relishing this moment, not wanting to be anywhere else.

* * *

"So, let me get this straight. You sat courtside, the Lakers' cheerleaders less than twenty feet away from you, and you didn't look at them all night?" Chad asked disbelievingly.

Troy and Chad were shooting a little more after their Saturday morning practice had ended, and Chad had been grilling Troy for the past ten minutes.

"Yes Chad."

"Not once?"

"Nope."

"Dude, they freakin dance on the court during breaks. How can you not see that?"

"Okay, so maybe I looked at them a few times, but did I stare? No."

Chad shook his head. "You disappoint me dude."

"You're lucky Taylor isn't here. She would have smacked you multiple times in the past few minutes."

"Eh, I can handle Taylor." Chad said confidently. Troy raised his eyebrows. "Okay, fine. You're right, she would have beat the crap out of me."

"That's what I thought."

"Anyways, what are you and Gabi doing tonight? Have any special plans for Valentine's day? Did you write her some sappy love song or something?" Chad laughed elbowing Troy in the side.

Troy shoved him off of him before taking a shot. "Nah, Gabi and I agreed that last night was our Valentine's date out. We told Anna we'd watch Emilee for her."

"What time's that at?"

"I'm gonna head over there after we're done here. Her parents are leaving once I get there, and it'll be just us and Emilee most of the night. Anthony's coming back late after his date is over."

"So the game was it? Nothing else planned?"

"Well, no. I have something else planned." Troy didn't attempt to repress his smile, thinking of his plans for the night.

"What is it?"

"Can't tell you."

Chad stared in disbelief. "You can't tell me? One of your best friends?"

"Nope." Chad's eyes widened. "Because you'll tell Taylor, and she'll tell Gabi, and then it won't be a secret."

"You suck man."

"Thanks," Troy laughed. "Hey, I better get going." Troy said glancing at the clock.

"Sure, sure man. You can't spend much time away from her. It's sickingly sweet you know."

Troy shrugged. "I spent this much time with her before we started dating. You jealous? Want me to set up a Valentine's date for you too?"

Chad shuddered, causing Troy to erupt in laughter. "Heck no man. But, I would like to go to a Lakers' game with you."

"What did you think I was getting you for your birthday?"

"Really?" Troy nodded. "Courtside?" Troy nodded again. "Dude, I love you." Troy almost fell backwards as Chad wrapped him in a huge hug.

Troy cleared his throat. "Dude, back off." Troy laughed, shoving Chad off of him.

"Sorry man. My love for the Lakers sometimes causes me to not think things through."

"It would seem so," Troy laughed. "See ya later!" Chad and Troy pounded fists, while Troy took off for the locker room as Chad shot around a bit more.

* * *

Troy double checked that everything was ready for later that night, before grabbing his bag and darting out the front door. He raced across the street and up the front porch steps to Gabriella's house.

He knocked gently and waited for a few seconds before the door opened, his beautiful girlfriend standing there with Emilee in her arms.

Troy smiled at her and leaned down, kissing Emilee on the cheek. "Hey Emilee, you ready for a fun night?" The little girl giggled as Troy gently tickled her.

"Hey baby," Troy greeted Gabriella, leaning over to softly brush his lips against hers. "How was practice?"

"Good. You?"

"Awesome. I can't wait for playoffs next week." Gabriella nodded in agreement. "Want me to take her?" Troy asked, gesturing towards Emilee.

Gabriella grinned and handed her sister to Troy's awaiting arms. Troy lifted Emilee above his head, smiling at her as she looked down on him.

"Let's go get those last minute instructions shall we?" Troy placed the little girl in one arm, intertwining his other hand with Gabriella's before the three set off for the kitchen.

"Hey Troy," Anna greeted. "Okay. Bottles are in the fridge. I set her dinner out on the counter. You both know where the diapers and everything else is. You can put her to bed around 8:00. Make sure to turn on the baby monitor, and bring the receiver with you once you leave the room. Anything else I'm missing?"

Carlos chuckled, wrapping one arm around his wife's waist. "There's some money on the counter kids. Go ahead and order pizza or whatever. We'll be back tomorrow afternoon."

"We got it. No problem," Gabriella said, fighting the urge to roll her eyes. "I've watched Emilee many times before guys. There's no need to be worried."

"You're right sweetie. Have a good time, and thank you for doing this." Anna kissed Gabriella's cheek, Carlos following suit.

Anna walked over to Troy, giving him a hug. "Thank you Troy for offering to do this. We appreciate it."

"You're welcome. I love Emilee. Spending the night with her and the girl I'm in love with is no burden at all." Troy turned and winked at Gabriella.

Gabriella felt herself blush, and Troy pulled her towards him, letting her snuggle into his side. After Carlos and Anna had kissed Emilee's cheek one more time, the two went out to the car to leave for the night.

"Let the fun begin." Troy grinned. "What do you want to do first?"

"You up for going to the park?"

"Let's do it!"

Gabriella and Troy walked upstairs, Emilee still in Troy's arms. Troy changed Emilee into an outfit that Gabriella laid out for her, while Gabriella got ready in the other room. He placed a little hat on Emilee's head just as Gabriella poked her head through the door.

"You ready?" Troy nodded and the three headed downstairs.

Gabriella took Emilee from Troy as he set up the stroller and placed the diaper bag into it. Minutes later the two were walking down the sidewalk towards the park. After getting to the park, they carefully took Emilee out of the stroller and took her over to the playground.

Gabriella placed her in the swing and gently pushed it back and forth. Troy stood in front of the swing, and as Emilee neared him, he pretended that she kicked him and flew backwards, falling onto the ground. Emilee giggled loudly, grinning as Troy stood back up.

Troy walked forwards and stood there again, falling backwards once again as Emilee barely kicked him. Gabriella couldn't help but laugh at her boyfriend and her little sister, the two obviously enjoying themselves.

After a few more times, the two caught Emilee staring off towards the slide.

"Wanna go on the slide Emilee?" Troy asked, picking her up out of the swing and walking to a small slide. He placed Emilee at the top, holding onto her waist, before letting her slide down towards the bottom, his hands holding her the whole time. Emilee smiled and screeched in enjoyment. She pointed to the top of the slide and Troy picked her up, and placed her at the top again.

Gabriella giggled at Troy who was taking shallow breaths, tired from walking back and forth from one end of the slide to the other, with a little girl in his arms the whole time.

"Want a break?"

Troy sighed. "Thank you!"

Gabriella laughed and picked Emilee up, holding her in one arm, the other arm around Troy's waist, as they walked over to a bench in the shade.

Troy saw Gabriella's eyes light up when an ice cream vendor pushed his cart past them.

"Want one?" Troy asked, laughing as Gabriella nodded fervently. "Okay then. Be right back."

Troy ran over and chased down the vendor, handing him five dollars before the man handed him two packaged ice creams. Troy sat down on the bench, handing Gabriella her ice cream while he took a bite of his own. The two laughed as Emilee stared longingly at their ice creams. Gabriella finally gave in and let Emilee taste her ice cream bar.

Emilee got a serious look on her face as she decided how she felt about the ice cream. A few seconds later she tilted her head back up, obviously wanting more. Gabriella complied and gave her another small bite. This time, Emilee giggled.

"Well, looks like you're gonna have to share that ice cream," Troy commented, earning a playful glare from Gabriella.

Just as he said that Emilee shifted in Gabriella's arms, scooting closer to Troy and pointing towards his ice cream.

"No, no, no," Troy laughed, attempting to hide his ice cream behind his back. "Your sister's ice cream is much tastier than mine. See? Watch."

Before Gabriella could react, Troy leaned his head over and took a huge bite of her ice cream. "Mmmmm." Troy rubbed his stomach, a huge grin on his face. "Yeah, that's the one you want Emilee."

"Jerk!" Gabriella said, lightly elbowing him in the side. "Now I get a bite of yours."

"Nope." Troy shook his head, his eyes twinkling, his gaze focused on Gabriella.

Gabriella grabbed his arm and tried to pull the ice cream closer, but Troy managed to keep it away. Realizing she couldn't win that way, Gabriella decided to take a different route. She scooted closer to Troy and leaned up, kissing him softly on the cheek a few times.

"Please?" She whispered in his ear before pulling back, staring into his eyes.

"Fine," Troy muttered, handing his ice cream over to her. Gabriella grinned and took a big bite.

"Mmmmm. Thanks Troy! You're too sweet."

"Yeah, whatever," Troy said playfully. He rolled his eyes and laughed as Emilee held her hands out to Troy once more, wanting a bite of his ice cream. Troy caved and brought his ice cream down to the little girl, so she could take a bite. After a few small bites, Troy pulled it away.

"Okay, that's enough for you cutie. We don't want you to get a stomach ache." Troy quickly finished off the last few bites of his ice cream, and took his and Gabriella's wrappers to the trash once she finished.

He sat back down, wrapping his arm around Gabriella's shoulder, allowing her to snuggle into his side. Emilee smiled at Troy and held out her arms to him. Troy picked her up with one hand, and set her on his lap, keeping one arm around her and the other around Gabriella. He kissed the top of Emilee's head and then the top of Gabriella's as she laid her head on his shoulder.

The two sat there for a few minutes, watching the many people walk by. They laughed when one elderly couple walked by, muttering what a shame it was that such young people had already started a family. A few moments later, an older lady walked up to them, saying how cute their little family was. Troy laughed when Gabriella buried her face in his shoulder, and he smiled at how cute she was being so embarrassed.

Troy looked down to see Emilee had fallen asleep against his chest. "Hey Gabi, I think we should head back."

"You're right. It's her nap time." Gabriella stood up and gathered all of Emilee's things into the stroller. Troy stood up and gently laid Emilee down in the stroller, buckling her into her seat, before walking around and pushing the stroller back towards the house.

After putting Emilee in her playpen in the family room so she could sleep, the two settled down for a movie, cuddled up on the couch.

"You ready for pizza?" Gabriella asked once the movie had finished.

"Sure, want me to order it?"

"No I got it," Gabriella told him smiling.

Troy walked over and picked up Emilee after he saw her wake up. He carried her into the kitchen and sat her down in her seat at the table. Gabriella brought her food over, once she hung up the phone, and the two sat there feeding Emilee. The pizza came soon after that, and Troy and Gabriella enjoyed their pizza and soda, while Emilee played in her chair.

After their dinner was finished, Troy saw it was 7:30, almost Emilee's bed time. He picked the little girl up and grabbed her bottle out of the fridge, carrying her into the family room. Gabriella smiled at how caring he was being, and quickly put the leftover pizza in the fridge and washed their dishes before joining the two in the other room.

A huge smile erupted on her face and her heart warmed seeing Troy asleep leaning against the armrest of the couch, Emilee asleep in his arms, curled up to his chest.

"Troy," she whispered, tapping his shoulder gently causing his eyes to flutter open. "I'm going to go put her to bed. You can stay down here, k?" Troy nodded, handing Emilee over to Gabriella.

Gabriella took her sister in her arms and leaned down to softly kiss Troy. "Be right back," she whispered before hurrying off towards the stairs.

Once Troy heard the door shut upstairs, he quickly slipped his shoes on, grabbed his bag, and darted to the backyard. He rushed around, making sure everything was perfect. Once he was satisfied with the set-up, Troy ran back inside and sat down on the couch, just as Gabriella was walking down the stairs.

"Hey," she said patting his knee as she placed the baby monitor on the table and snuggled into his side.

"Hey." Troy dipped his head down and captured her lips, allowing them to get lost in their passionate moment before pulling away once air became a necessity. "Wanna go outside with me?"

"Sure, but what about Emilee?"

"We have the baby monitor," Troy said, kissing her gently once more. "Come on, let's go." Troy stood up, grabbed the monitor, and offered her his hand, lacing his fingers through hers before leading them out the back door.

Gabriella's breath caught in her throat while her eyes scanned over her backyard. It looked absolutely beautiful. There were Christmas lights strung all around the gazebo, rose petals were scattered on the gazebo floor, and soft music was playing in the background.

Troy smiled at her reaction, ecstatic that she obviously loved it. He had been worried it would be too much for her, but his worries were gone the moment he saw her face light up. He gently tugged on her hand, leading her closer and up the gazebo steps.

"Dance with me?" Troy asked, pulling her towards him.

Gabriella wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her head into his chest. Troy wrapped his arms tightly around her lower back, and laid his head on top of hers. The two swayed gently to the music, relishing the feel of being in each other's arms.

"So what's all this for?" Gabriella asked softly, pulling back so she could look into Troy's eyes while they swayed to the music.

"Valentine's day, of course." Troy shrugged, a smile on his face.

"Yeah, but wasn't that what we were celebrating yesterday?"

Troy nodded. "Yeah, but what kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn't do something more actually on Valentine's day? Besides, you deserve it." Gabriella blushed and hid her face in his chest. Troy grinned, pulling back slightly while lifting her chin up. He captured her lips with his, bringing one hand up to rest on the back of her neck, as her hands ran gently through his hair.

Moments later, they pulled apart, Troy gently kissing her a few more times before she laid her head in the crook of his neck, the two continuing to dance to the soft music in the background.

"Ready for your gift?" Troy asked after the next song had ended.

"Troy, you didn't have to get me anything. The game was enough."

"Gabi, are you kidding me? We won those tickets together. All I did was choose the game we'd use them at. Nice try, but I still got you a gift. The game was nothin."

Gabriella giggled. "Okay fine. Cause I got you something too. Let me run inside and get it real fast, okay?" Troy nodded. Gabriella kissed him softly on his jaw, before running inside. Troy pulled her gift out of his bag, setting it on the bench, before leaning on the railing, staring up at the stars.

Gabriella rushed back outside, setting Troy's gift on the bench, before walking up behind him and wrapping her arms around his waist from behind. She kissed the back of his shoulder blade while he took both of her hands in his, gently rubbing his thumb over hers.

"Present time?" Gabriella asked, kissing him once more.

Troy nodded, and spun around in her arms, kissing her gently on the forehead. "Present time." Troy handed her a large square package, wrapped in red glossy paper, with a big white bow on it.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Gabi."

Gabriella quickly opened the package and smiled, seeing what he had gotten her. Troy had clipped out many different newspaper articles from the year of Gabriella's significant basketball games, including the most recent Championship. He had placed them throughout the picture frame, surrounding four pictures in the center of her and Troy the night of her big game.

The first picture was of the two before the game, wrapped in a hug. Gabriella was smiling widely as Troy whispered something in her ear. The second was one of them after her game, Troy swinging her around in his arms. The third picture was of them in the restaurant. Troy's arm was wrapped around the back of her chair, both of them grinning from ear to ear as he kissed her cheek. And the final picture was the two of them in Gabriella's backyard, each wrapped in the other's arms while they cuddled up in a lounge chair staring into each other's eyes, smiles painted on both of their faces.

Gabriella ran her fingers over each of the pictures, tracing their faces. "Troy, this is amazing. Thank you so much." She placed the frame on the bench and captured his lips with hers. "I love you."

"I love you too Gabi." Troy whispered, kissing her softly once more.

"Okay, your turn," Gabriella beamed as she handed him the package wrapped in red paper.

Troy smiled and quickly ripped open his gift. He grinned seeing that it was a scrapbook Gabriella had made for him. The picture on the front was of the two of them when they were four years old. Their parents had them take a picture one afternoon at a family barbeque, and it was one of their favorites. Troy was blushing in the picture as Gabriella kissed him on the cheek.

Troy sat down on the bench, pulling Gabriella into his lap while he flipped through the pages, amazed at the time and effort Gabriella had taken to make this gift. The first few pages were pictures of them as babies and the last few pages were of the past few years—the book capturing many moments of the two of them over their lives thus far.

Troy flipped through the pages holding pictures of them playing little league sports, birthday parties, vacations, playing in their backyards, their first basketball pictures, ones of them throughout high school—sports games, hangouts, family barbeques, dances, and many pictures chronicling their dating relationship.

The two sat there for the next hour, gazing at the pictures and reminiscing. The time was filled with laughter, blushing, and many kisses—their love for each other seeping through the pages and their actions. When Troy finally reached the end, he saw there were almost three times as many pages left blank at the end.

"Those are for the many memories to come," Gabriella commented softly.

"Graduation, college, our engagement, our wedding, our kids, anniversaries," Troy began to ramble off all of the memories he looked forward to. "All of them with you. I can't wait."

Gabriella smiled, and leaned down, crashing her lips onto Troy's. After a little bit, they pulled apart, and Gabriella laid her head in the crook of Troy's neck, kissing him softly there.

"I love you," she whispered, her lips brushing the skin of his neck once more.

"I love you too Gabi. So much."

**AN: So I hope you guys liked it! Thanks so much for all your support on this story. Leave me your thoughts on this one. The last chapter will be up next weekend for sure (it's already written) and I have a few oneshots and other stories in the works. If you haven't yet check out my new Twilight oneshot called 'The One I'm Waiting For'. Thanks!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

Troy stood in front of the mirror, frantically smoothing out his hair before adjusting his dark blue tie.

"Dude, that's the tenth time you've been to the mirror in the past five minutes. Sit down already!" Chad rolled his eyes before taking another bite of pizza.

"Shut it Chad! I need this night to be perfect. And just a thought, but I don't think Taylor will appreciate it if you have pizza sauce all over your suit." Troy said, checking his pocket for the small velvet box he placed in there, before taking a seat on the couch.

Chad groaned, knowing he was right, and stuffed the rest of the piece in his mouth before carrying the box back into the kitchen.

"What?" Chad shrugged as the Zeke, Jason, Ryan, and Josh stared at him. "I wasn't about to let that pizza go to waste."

All of them laughed as Chad sat back down, seeing he had multiple spots of pizza sauce on his face.

"What!? Will you all stop staring?"

"Chad, you have a little pizza sauce on your face." Zeke spoke up.

"Oh, thanks man." Chad took his finger and barely dabbed the corner of his mouth. "Did I get it?"

The five guys tried to suppress their laughter seeing Chad had at least four other spots of sauce on his face.

"Yeah dude, you got it." Troy laughed to himself, wanting to pay Chad back for making fun of him all night.

"Time to go guys," Ryan commented looking at his phone, prompting all of the guys to stand up. They all quickly grabbed the flowers for the girls and walked across the street to the Montez house.

"That's our limo!?" Jason exclaimed, in awe of the black stretch limo sitting out front.

"Heck yeah! We're going to prom in style," Chad said, stepping up to the front door of Gabriella's house.

Troy knocked on the door, smiled at Carlos when he opened the door moments later.

"Hey Carlos." Troy exchanged a hug with him before stepping inside.

"Hey boys. Girls are upstairs. They should be down any minute."

Everyone stepped inside, following Troy into the family room. Troy went straight towards Emilee, who was taking little steps around the family room, playing with her toys. Troy picked her up in one quick swoop and cradled her in his arms.

"Hi cutie!" Emilee giggled as Troy flipped her over so she was hanging upside down, before bringing her back up. She gave Troy a sloppy kiss before burying her head in his neck.

Troy chuckled and held her tightly. "Love you too Emilee," he said, kissing her on her cheek before setting her back on the ground. Emilee immediately waddled towards a small stuffed ball lying in the corner. After picking it up, Emilee chucked the ball at an un-expectant Chad.

"Whoa! She's got quite the arm!" Chad said, picking the ball up from where it landed in his lap.

"Yep! Gabi and I taught her that." Troy proudly told them, beaming as he watched Emilee play.

Hearing his voice, Emilee waddled back to Troy, holding out her arms. "Up!"

Troy laughed and picked her up, smiling as she sat on his lap, trying to wrap her tiny hand around Troy's.

"Hey Emilee," Troy said softly to the little girl, who looked up at him with a huge grin. "How old are you going to be in a few weeks?"

Emilee giggled, releasing Troy's hand and looking down at her own, before holding a single finger in the air. Troy proudly clapped, causing her to giggle, and lifted her up so she was standing on his lap. He leaned forward and kissed her cheek.

"Good job Emilee!"

Emilee clapped her hands in response before stepping closer to Troy, holding onto his shoulders to steady herself as she sloppily kissed his cheek again.

All of the guys, including Carlos, laughed at Troy who couldn't help but smile at the little girl in front of him. He gently picked her up and sat her back down on his lap before discreetly wiping the slobber off his cheek.

"Hey Troy, does Gabs slobber on your cheek like that?" Chad asked, unable to control his laughter. The guys laughed at Troy who chucked a small pillow, hitting Chad on the side of his head.

Emilee joined in the laughter as well, her sweet giggles filling the room while she watched Chad rub the side of his head. Emilee grabbed onto Troy's arm, pulling herself up a bit, before crawling towards Chad. She took a hold of Chad's arm, standing up, and then tangled her hand in Chad's hair, tugging on a few strands.

"Ow!" Chad screeched, causing all the guys to double over in fits of laughter. Chad winced, and gently took Emilee's hand, pulling it out of his hair, before helping her sit on his lap.

"Dang, she's strong!" Chad exclaimed. Reaching over, he grabbed the ball and placed it in her hands. Troy held his out, and Emilee giggled before tossing the ball to Troy. Troy caught it and tossed it back.

"Yeah she is. And, I'd like to point out," Troy commented, tossing the ball to Emilee. "You just got beat by a not even one-year-old girl."

Everyone laughed once again, but they were soon interrupted as someone cleared their throat. Troy turned his gaze to find out who was trying to get their attention. His eyes met a smirking Carlos who just pointed to the top of the steps.

Troy followed his gaze and felt his breath hitch in his throat. Standing at the top of the stairs was his girlfriend of eight months, dressed in a beautiful dark blue, form fitting dress. Troy stood up from his place on the couch, smoothing out his suit jacket and grabbing the flower he had brought, before walking over to the bottom of the steps.

His piercing blue eyes never left her chocolate brown ones as she descended the stairs. As always, everyone else seemed to fade away, the two caught up in one of the many moments they'd remember forever.

Gabriella placed her small hand into Troy's larger one, smiling at him while he helped her down the last few steps. Troy brought his other hand up to cup Gabriella's face, letting his thumb softly caress her cheek.

"Kiss her already!" Troy and Gabriella felt themselves blush at Chad's cheering in the other room. "Ouch! Watch it Zeke! What's with people messing with my hair? It takes some time to get my hair to look this good."

Troy smiled seeing Gabriella giggle. He gently tugged on her hand and pulled her towards the front door, where they weren't visible from the family room.

Troy sighed, bringing his hand up once more to cup her cheek. Gabriella's eyes fluttered shut for a few seconds at his soft touch. She opened them back up only to be met by two sparkling blue eyes inches away.

"You look absolutely gorgeous," Troy whispered against her lips, letting his nose gently rub against hers, both of them beaming. Gabriella reached the hand that wasn't being held by Troy up to his neck, tangling her fingers in his hair before gently tugging him closer. Their lips met and sparks flew throughout their bodies.

Troy gently let go of her hand and placed his hand on her waist, pulling her closer to him as her other hand went to the back of his neck. They pulled apart reluctantly, catching their breath as they stared into each other's eyes. Troy quickly captured her lips a few more times and then kissed her once on the forehead before pulling away.

Gabriella took his tie in her hand, letting the material run through her fingers. "You look really handsome Troy. I still can't believe that you're mine."

"That goes both ways." Troy smiled, taking her hand in his and gently caressing the palm of her hand with his thumb. "Come on."

Gabriella laced her fingers through Troy's while he led them both into the family room. The moment they walked into the room they were met with knowing smiles.

"What were you two up to?" Chad questioned, smirking at them.

"Shut up Chad. Just wait till Taylor comes down." Troy said, smirking back. He went back over to the couch and sat down, pulling Gabriella into his lap, wrapping both of his arms tightly around her waist.

Gabriella smiled and held out her arms for Emilee who was crawling towards her. She helped her stand up, and Emilee leaned up and kissed Gabriella's cheek, causing her to giggle. Gabriella picked Emilee up, setting her on her lap and smiling at Troy, who wiped the slobber off her face.

"Thanks. I really hope she learns not to do that soon." The two laughed and Emilee joined in, smiling up at them both.

Gabriella glanced over at Chad once her laughter subsided only to stifle another giggle. Maneuvering around Emilee, she leaned down towards Troy. "Does he know he has pizza sauce all over his face?" She asked quietly, a smile tugging at her lips.

"Nope!" Troy chuckled quietly.

"Tay's gonna kill him."

"Yep! It's all about the payback," Troy said, unable to hide his grin. "And here it comes."

Everyone looked up, seeing Taylor coming down the steps. Chad stood up and rushed over there to meet her, a huge smile on his face.

"3...2…1," Troy counted down.

"Chad Danforth! Is that pizza sauce on your face?" Everyone in the room burst into fits of laughter. Chad turned to glare at the five guys sitting there. "The least you could do is wash your face before picking me up for prom! My boyfriend having pizza sauce on his face for my prom pictures is just what I want," Taylor said sarcastically.

"Tay, I'm sorry. I got hungry. We aren't eating for another hour, and you can't expect me to wait that long…especially when Adam and Aaron had extra pizza." Chad whined, his best puppy dog expression on his face.

"Chad, catch!" Chad flinched as a towel hit him in the head, and he turned to glare at Jason who smiled innocently. Chad took the towel and wiped off his face quickly, before smiling at Taylor, holding out a corsage he had gotten for her. He grinned, seeing her serious look turn into a smile.

"Ugh, fine Danforth." Chad's smile grew. He stepped forward and placed the corsage gently on her wrist before kissing her cheek.

"You look really pretty Tay."

"Thanks Chad. You look great too." Taylor took the towel Chad had tossed on the railing and wiped away a spot of pizza sauce on his face that he'd missed.

Chad smiled, softly brushing his lips against hers before taking her hand and leading her over to the couch.

Ten minutes later after the other girls had come down, the group took their individual pictures out by the gazebo in Gabriella's backyard. First Jessica and Ryan went, then Sharpay and Zeke, Jason and Kelsi, Josh and Katie, who had gotten together two weeks earlier, Taylor and Chad, and finally Troy and Gabriella. After a few group photos that took awhile because Chad couldn't stop making funny faces, the group headed out to the limo in front.

* * *

"Pictures again!? What were all those pictures for earlier?" Chad asked Taylor as the group got in the picture line.

"These pictures are professional ones dude," Troy informed him as he rested his chin on the top of Gabriella's head, his arms wrapped around her waist from behind.

Taylor tugged on his arm. "Just smile and don't mess it up Chad. We'll be finished before you know it."

Chad grumbled but followed Taylor forward. The photographer helped set their poses and then went to fix each of their hair. The group laughed at Chad when he smacked the guy for touching his hair.

Hearing laughter behind them, Troy and Gabriella turned to see Tim and his date Allison standing there.

"Hey man," Troy said, holding out one hand to pound fists with Tim, his other hand still wrapped firmly around Gabriella's waist.

"Hey Troy. Hi Gabi," Tim smiled at them both.

"Hey guys," Gabriella greeted and stepped forward, giving Tim a friendly hug before snuggling back into Troy's side. "Nice game last night Allison," Gabriella complimented the somewhat shy blonde softball player who had her arm tightly wrapped around Tim's.

"Thanks Gabi! I'm glad you two could make it out to the game. I still can't believe we're going to playoffs. Our first match up is gonna be tough."

Tim grinned down at the girl who was a few inches shorter than him, who he had been dating for two months. "You girls are going to do great! Especially you, stop worrying."

Gabriella smiled at the two of them as Tim leaned down to kiss Allison's temple, wrapping his arm around her shoulder.

"Next!" Troy and Gabriella turned around to see the photographer motioning them over.

"Alright, I guess we'll see you two in there," Troy told them, interlacing his fingers with Gabriella.

"Have fun guys!" Gabriella waved at them, before allowing Troy to tug her forward.

Gabriella and Troy stood where the photographer directed them to, both beaming wrapped up in each other's arms. Troy wrapped his arms around Gabriella from behind, who covered his hands with hers. Gabriella tilted her head back to look up at Troy, as he looked down at her, their eyes sparkling and their smiles wide. After that picture, the photographer then had them face each other. Troy laced his arms around her waist so they rested on her lower back, her head in the crook of his neck, while her arms were placed around his waist.

"Not that I mind taking pictures with you, but I'm glad that's over." Troy whispered to Gabriella after they had finished as he led her through the archway into the main ballroom, his hand on the small of her back.

The two stepped into the dimly lit room and took in their surroundings. There was a DJ booth in the far corner, loud music blasting through the speakers. The center of the room was packed with East High students dancing to the blaring music. Candle-lit tables surrounded the dance floor, and through the doors at the back was a large porch area that had steps leading down to the San Diego beach.

Troy leaned close so Gabriella could hear him over the loud music. "Wanna take a seat?"

Gabriella nodded and laced her fingers through Troy's as he led them towards a table. "Mind if we join you?" Troy asked Katie and Josh, who were sitting closely, deep in conversation.

"Oh, hey guys!" Katie greeted. "No problem. Take a seat."

"Thanks," Gabriella said, grinning while Troy helped her into her seat before taking a seat next to her. Troy scooted his seat closer, and put his arm around the back of her chair.

"So I'm surprised you two are even here tonight with the Lakers playoff game on," Katie said with a grin on her face.

"Yeah, how much does that suck? Of all the nights," Gabriella muttered. "Games are always on the same night as these dances."

"It's like they plan it on purpose," Troy muttered. "But it's cool; we'll be skipping out of here early as always."

"Gonna go watch your team lose?" Katie joked, earning glares from the others at the table.

"Don't worry Jenson. We aren't losing. And, I find it hilarious that you're dating a Lakers fan," Troy added, pounding fists with Josh.

"Yeah Katie. Don't be bitter about your team losing in the first round." Josh added, earning a jab in his gut from Katie. Troy and Gabriella stifled their laughter, seeing their playful exchange.

Gabriella smiled, remembering how thankful she was that she no longer felt jealous of Katie. It took a little while to push aside those jealous feelings she had experienced earlier in the year, but she knew now she could trust both Troy and Katie. She couldn't help but smile at Katie and Josh as Katie's face turned red when Josh kissed her cheek and pulled her into a hug.

"So where are you two running off to so you can watch the game?" Katie asked, turning her attention back towards them.

"We have a hotel room for the night."

"Really?" Katie smirked, eyebrows raised, causing Troy and Gabriella to blush.

"Nothing like that," Gabriella spoke up. "Our parents said we could stay the night if we wanted, and someone would come pick us up tomorrow. They knew we were dying to watch the game somehow, and we promised nothing would happen."

"Hey people!" Chad greeted loudly, taking a seat next to Troy and slapping him on the shoulder. "Rumor has it, it's time to eat."

Taylor rolled her eyes and took a seat. "Chad has been bugging the kitchen staff all night, and he just persuaded them to bring us food first."

"Danforth, if they spit in my food because you wouldn't stop bugging them, I'll cut that afro off your head in the middle of the night," Sharpay glared at Chad as she and Zeke took their seats next to Taylor.

"Don't worry Evans. I made sure they cooked you something extra special," Chad winked at her, earning a glare.

"Don't test me Afro-dork. Tay will let me in your room tonight, and I'll be sure there isn't anything left on your head by morning."

Everyone at the table covered their faces, trying to conceal their laughter except for Zeke who tried to calm Sharpay, and Taylor who was busy lecturing Chad.

"Oooo, grub time!" Chad yelled out excitedly spotting the waiters coming towards them. He quickly pulled out his napkin and tucked it into his shirt collar. Taylor rolled her eyes, and took the napkin, placing it on his lap.

The twelve people soon fell into friendly conversations as their dinner was served.

A while later, Troy pulled out his cell phone to glance at the time. Everyone else had left the table to go dance, but Troy and Gabriella opted to stay, since they didn't really like to dance. A slow song came on, and Troy leaned over to Gabriella. "Hey, we've got about an hour till game time. Wanna go dance with me?"

"Yeah, of course." Gabriella smiled.

Troy smiled back and took Gabriella's hand, leading her out to the dance floor and pulling her into his arms. Gabriella nestled her head into Troy's neck—the two swaying to the music along with the many couples around them.

"You know," Gabriella began, leaning back so she could look up at Troy. "I'm dancing with the league MVP."

Troy laughed, tightening his grip around her waist. "So am I."

"I still can't believe I won that."

"I can," Troy said softly. "Gabi, you were amazing this season. You totally deserved it. You also deserved to win state."

"Yeah, we were close," Gabriella sighed. "But you know," she smirked, "we did go farther than the mighty East High men's team."

Troy rolled his eyes in amusement. "Don't remind me."

"Well, we still have next year. We can both go out with a bang, winning state."

"Yep, and then it's off to college." Gabriella smiled, and nuzzled back into the crook of Troy's neck.

Troy moved his gaze towards the back doors leading out to the beach. Feeling like now was a perfect moment, Troy checked his pocket to ensure the small box he had placed there before he left was still there. Kissing the top of Gabriella's head, he pulled back slightly, so he could look into her eyes.

Giving her a slight grin, he tilted his head towards the back doors and held out his hand. Gabriella smiled back and laced her fingers through his, letting him lead her outside. Once outside, Troy led Gabriella down the steps onto the beach.

Troy and Gabriella removed their shoes, and began to walk barefoot, hand-in-hand down the beach. The tiki torches that lined the beach outside the hotel, the starry sky, the waves crashing, and the soft music in the background provided a beautifully calm and romantic atmosphere.

Once they were a few feet from the water, Troy stopped and turned to face Gabriella. Seeing her shiver slightly, he quickly removed his suit jacket and draped it over her shoulders, rubbing his hands up and down her arms.

"Thanks," Gabriella said shyly, taking the edges of the jacket in her hands and wrapping it more tightly around her.

"Well, I can't let my girlfriend freeze out here, could I?"

"I guess not." Gabriella giggled, slipping her arms through the jacket. She snuggled closer to Troy, wrapping her arms around his waist from the side, as the two looked out on the moonlit ocean.

Troy sighed, rubbing his hands up and down her back slowly to keep her warm. "I must say, as much fun as all these formal dances can be with all our friends, I'd rather be spending time just with you."

"Oh come on, you know you like all the dancing and the hype about who will be prom king and queen." Gabriella added sarcastically, nudging him gently.

Troy chuckled, gripping her tighter. "Oh yeah, you know me. I'm all about that hype. I couldn't sleep all last night, just thinking about who would be crowned prom king and queen tonight. It's why I'm here in fact. You just think I came because I wanted to take you. Not true my friend."

"I knew it! I always knew you were the male version of Sharpay when it came to all the gossip and hype about these things."

The two burst into fits of laughter, leaning into each other as the laughter shook their bodies.

"Although," Gabriella began once they calmed down. "Maybe we should go back in. You are a favorite for junior class prom court this year."

"I don't care about any of that. I'm right where I want to be." Troy leaned his head down and gently brushed his lips against hers.

"Me too," she whispered as they pulled apart.

Troy just smiled in response, letting his arms slide around her waist, pulling her tightly to him. Gabriella let her arms wrap around Troy's neck, resting her head on his chest as he began to lead them in another slow dance.

The two danced for a few minutes, slowly swaying back and forth in each others arms, sharing a few soft kisses every so often. As the song ended, Gabriella pulled back slightly, leaning up to kiss Troy's cheek.

"Yep, much better than being in there," Gabriella whispered, running her fingers through the hair at the nape of Troy's neck.

"Definitely is." Troy took a deep breath, feeling like the time was right. Keeping one hand firmly around her waist, Troy placed his other hand in his pocket, flipping the box around in his fingers before pulling it out. He quickly wrapped his arm back around her waist, smirking when she eyed him suspiciously.

"What's in your hand Bolton? I hope it isn't a weapon."

"Oh yeah, you know me," Troy laughed. "I'm always carrying weapons in my suit pockets."

Gabriella giggled, but was silenced by Troy's lips covering hers. Troy deepened the kiss for a moment before pulling away. Slowly he unwrapped one hand from her waist, still shifting the box around in his hand as he brought it into view.

Gabriella felt her breath catch in her throat, and eyed the box suspiciously while Troy looked at her, his nervousness obvious.

"Hear me out before you say anything okay?" Gabriella nodded, smiling as Troy scratched the back of his neck nervously and took another deep breath.

"Gabi, I know we've only been together eight months, and we're just juniors in high school. But we've been best friends all of our lives, and I've loved you for as long as I can remember. And since we started dating, that love has only grown deeper. I know that you're the only person I want to spend the rest of my life with. I definitely want to and will marry you one day. Now, your family would kill me if I proposed to you when we're still in high school, and if they didn't, I know my dad and brothers sure would."

Troy felt a smile form on his face as Gabriella giggled softly. "Probably."

"Yeah. So instead, I wanted to give you this." The words were softly spoken, and Gabriella's heart fluttered seeing the love in his eyes as Troy carefully opened the box in his hand.

Gabriella let her gaze shift from Troy's captivating eyes to the sparkling ring before her. Troy took the ring between his fingers, holding it out to her. She took in the details of the ring, the silver band with their initials inscribed on the inside, the small yet beautiful stone that was the same as her birthstone.

Gabriella couldn't help the bright smile that erupted on her face. Troy knew her so well, getting her a ring that was perfect for her. It was simple yet beautiful. A small tear slid down her cheek just thinking of how much she loved Troy and knowing he loved her so much as well.

Troy reached out with one hand, brushing away the tear with the pad of his thumb. Letting his hand glide down her neck and shoulder, and then down her arm, leaving a tingling sensation, before finally letting his palm rest below hers.

"Gabi," she looked up, her eyes locking with his, both completely oblivious to anything else going on. Troy held up the ring, his smile growing brighter each second. "This is a promise ring. One day, I promise to replace this with an engagement ring, and then a wedding ring soon after. I love you Gabi."

Gabriella rubbed her thumb over Troy's hand. "And I promise to accept your proposal that day. I love you too Troy."

Troy gently slid the ring on her finger, both of them looking down at it for a brief moment before getting lost once again in each other's eyes.

Gabriella placed both of her hands on his cheeks, lifting herself up and capturing his lips with hers. Both of them smiled into the kiss as Gabriella wrapped her arms around his neck and Troy brought his hands down to her waist, lifting her up and spinning her around.

Troy gently set her back on the ground, before placing his hand on the small of her back, pulling her closer into a passionate kiss, the two lost in a moment once again.

* * *

**AN: Well, that is the last chapter. Thanks so much to everyone for reading and reviewing. I never expected this many reviews and alerts and everything. I really appreciate it. Special thanks to Dee for helping me out so much with this story and for encouraging me to post it. Thanks to Kaitlin for encouraging me to post as well. If it wasn't for them, I probably wouldn't have ever posted this story. And thanks to Erin and Stacey for all your helpful opinions on this story. I'd love to read everyone's thoughts on this last chapter. Thanks again!**

**Also, I have a oneshot that I will be posting in the next week, and a few other oneshots and stories that I should be posting. So keep a look out for those. In the meantime, I'm still co-writing Disguised Affection with Erin (lsr188), so please check that out if you haven't. **


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